Life of a Zero Dragon
by Boyzilla
Summary: Louise attempts to summon a familiar, but magic is a fickle thing. When the spell reaches out for Saito in the midst of starting an online Warcraft 3 game, the result is catastrophic. Now Saito, nine players, and the Map Maker are all stuck in a new world. The map they were playing? Life of a Dragon Sequel. With Warcraft rules pooling into the mix, can the players ever go home?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note** : I'm not sure if many people know this, but as much as I am a writer, I'm also a Map Maker for Warcraft 3. What map did I create? Life of a Dragon, and its successor, Life of a Dragon Sequel. A popular fantasy-roleplaying map on Battlenet. At this current moment I've been working on version 2.0 of the map. And, well, started watching Familiar of Zero during that time as well. Not to mention I'm a big fan of the FoZ crossovers.

After a whole week straight I came up with this idea, there was previously an idea/concept that started out with another crossover featuring the SOTDRP map. Well, this is similar yet very different than that one.

Full Preview Description: When Louise had began summoning her servant, it reaches out for Saito. But magic is a fickle thing, it's based off intent just as much. In the words of a Roleplayer, they put their heart and soul into their character. When the summoning magic reaches Saito in the midst of the start of a Warcraft 3 game, the results are catastrophic. Now a huge portion of the game's map, Life of a Dragon Sequel, is brought to life in Halkeginia, the players and Saito find themselves in their chosen character's bodies, most scattered about, and the observer, the Map Creator himself who also had the map loaded in World Editor in the background, finds himself with the power of a god.

And there is only one way to return back home… And unfortunately, many Warcraft 3 rulings carried over in strange ways, and the Map's Triggering can't be changed.

* * *

Life of a Zero Dragon

Chapter 1: Zerocraft

She'll show them…

She'll show all of them!

She was Louise Francoise Le Blanc de La Valliere, third daughter of the Valliere family, a noble of the highest of nobles! The youngest daughter of Karin the Heavy Wind! The strongest square class wind mage of all of Tristain, and follower of the Rule of Steel and believer in the Founder!

She will show them that she is not a Zero!

'Especially that Zerbst!' The thought ran through the fourteen-year-old looking girl's head.

Louise Valliere is seventeen years old, but she could be considered a 'late boomer' it was a common insult by her rival, Kirche, to mock her lack of notable female growth. Now she mocks her proclamation of being able to summon a decent servant.

The Spring Summon Servant ritual.

Louise was filled with confidence in her ability to cast a spell properly this time, explosion or not, she would summon a servant at the very least. Something grand, spectacular, and powerful like a griffin, or a dragon!

The teen girl's hands gripped the handle her wand tightly, fist shaking.

'I can do this, Founder, I can do this!' Louise thought to herself, watching anxiously as other students within the school she attends, Tristain Academy of Magic, summons forth their own familiar spirits.

A familiar represents a mage's potential, so in that matter, Louise just had to summon something that would make everyone else pale in comparison!

But Kirche summoned a Salamander... That… No, she would beat her!

"It's the Zero…"

"I wonder what she will summon?"

"She can't, it'll probably just be another explosion."

Louise ignored all her peers, until Kirche spoke up, casually stroking the back of her fire Salamander. "You said you will summon greater than this boy here, right Louise?"

"Naturally." The Valliere replied with nothing that would let her feelings through. She could only grip her wand tighter, "I beg you…" Louise whispered, before beginning to raise her wand and channel her willpower, the source of her magical energy reserves.

"My slave, who lives somewhere in the universe!"

She ignored the surrounding confused grunts.

"Oh sacred, beautiful and strong familiar spirit!"

"I desire and here I plead from my heart!"

"Answer to my guidance!"

Louise whipped the wand in front of her in a single motion.

An explosion echoed throughout the area soon after.

* * *

Battlenet, the pinnacle and reason why Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne remains with the popularity of thousands of players still daily entering and going to and fro it. But this wasn't the only reason, for the company behind the Warcraft series created a powerful tool called the World Editor.

People who played around with this tool mostly did it for small private sessions of playing god in a virtual environment.

But those who utilize its potential, those who make their way into bringing their creations, their Custom Maps, are called Map Makers.

Indeed, while Battlenet might be the body, Custom Maps are the blood that drives it. Without the Map Makers the online Warcraft 3 community would have died years ago. The sheer power, the amount of possibility and customization brought on by the World Editor created marvels thought impossible in a real-time strategy game.

From the simplest of maps, to the complexity of recreating entire anime series like those of Dragon Ball Z, to even bringing forth entire new genres, the beginnings of the DOTA series, the moba genre.

Indeed, while the World Editor started its days in Starcraft, Warcraft 3 utilized its potential.

The power to play god only limited to one's imagination and dedication.

Saito Hiraga lived in Japan, but he knew the language English like so many others. Through his learning of the language he could enjoy playing Warcraft 3 on his laptop with the more populated realms of US and Europe.

Saito sat down at a table, his laptop ready to go in front of him. He moved the mouse and booted up Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne, his ears graced with the warcraft theme of Arthas, an important lore character.

But he didn't get on to play the campaign, as good as it was.

He logged into in seconds, his fingers flying across the keybroad almost instinctively.

"What kind of games are being hosted today?" Saito said to himself as he browsed through the list of games available to him.

He didn't want to play Dota, he was still upset the last time when his team lost. He wanted something that could take a while and enjoy playing as something else. Fantasy Life came up, that was always a good Roleplay map.

Footies… No…

Vampirism, yeah right, he sucks at that.

Island Defense? No, not feeling it.

Titan's Land is good, but very depending on the controlling player.

Then he saw the game he wanted to play.

Life of a Dragon Sequel.

Saito could consider himself a decent roleplayer, and the roleplay games life Fantasy Life and Life of a Dragon Sequel always were good after the toxic players left early game. Though, they got lucky now and then to start with a full house of roleplayers.

"Wait… That's not version 1.1… Kami above did the Map Maker return and update it?!"

He joined.

"Please don't let me be Human Kingdom or Fel Empire.." He silently wished, those two slots, while controlling a massive nation was cool, always had a more boring playthrough. You have to be a really professional roleplayer in order to play the Kingdom or Empire well.

Dragon.

There were ten open slots in total, five of which were the 'Chosen Dragons', players that played as a Dragon from hatchling to full grown dragon. Then there were the Dragon Slayer and Catcher, self explanatory, followed by the Human Kingdom, Fel Empire, and finally the Mercenary.

Out of all of them, the 'Chosen Dragons' were the best to play. Most of the interesting content was centered around them, through with this newest version, who knows what to expect?

"Yes…" Saito said to himself, his eyes looking through the current four other players, and a observer?

Wait…

Quickly he typed, asking if the Observer was really the Map Maker.

Everyone in the lobby replied to him instantaneous, it was. It was the Map Maker. Quickly he began firing questions on what to expect in the newest version. But the Map Maker only replied that they should wait and see, he couldn't spoil everything.

It took another twenty minutes of waiting for the lobby to be filled, the lobby's creator, the Map Maker, kicked all the toxic players out when they joined, and only roleplayers were left.

"This is going to be a blast!" Saito said out loud, waiting for the game to start.

" _I beg of you…"_

It's started, the game's loading screen is up. He could already picture it, he had everything planned for his Dragon character. He had experience after all. He's poured his heart and soul into making this character over time for all the other games he played as a Dragon.

" _My slave, who lives somewhere in the universe!"_

Saito raised an eyebrow, the music of the map was playing and they were waiting for other players, but is that voice part of the game? How did the Map Maker add that to the loading screen?

" _Oh sacred, beautiful and strong familiar spirit!"_

"Come on, everybody load already!" Saito yelled, ignoring the voice, thinking it was part of the game.

" _I desire and I here plead from my heart!"_

Excitement burst as the game finally loaded in and the map began, the cinematic would start soon and nobody was skipping it. It looks like the Map Maker changed that too, he leaned into the screen, his heart pumping as he pictured his character.

" _Answer to my guidance!"_

Suddenly the screen went green, and Saito's vision was encased in white.

* * *

Darkness…

It feels so empty…

He can't feel anything…

Saito Hiraga couldn't feel his body...

Where was he…?

Suddenly, a blinding light came before him, his body was like a void, perhaps a spirit… Did he die?

" **Chosen Dragon… Choose the attribute in which you will express…"**

That voice… It sounded strange… Almost artificial, yet at the same time, divine-like.

Then he saw it… Three words, plain letters forming three words…

Strength, Agility, Intelligence.

Wasn't this like the starting choice for his dragon character in Life of a Dragon Sequel?

He pressed his metaphysical hand on Agility, he's dead, so what did it matter? Perhaps Kami decided to give him a chance to at least play the map before he went to heaven.

The words disappeared soon after.

" **Your choice has been made, Chosen Dragon. Agility will bring you great speed and dexterity in the future. Now… Hatch, little dragon."**

A light… No, a crack, as if the sky had cracked apart and light filled into.

His body… It felt different now, he could feel it now.

Saito could feel his body encased in something, he had to get out!

He struggled, creating cracks, his saw a claw… A claw reach forth from him and break it apart.

Then a hand entered and helped pull apart some of it, it was quite a large hand, but it was feminine in quality. But after a full minute and breaking out and having to close his eyes as the light finally blinded him, he reopened them as the they adjusted to the sunlight.

"Graaawh…" He said out loud as he noticed there were giant people all around him in strange mage-like robes carrying wands and staffs for pity's sake. He didn't remember this in the game-

Wait…

"Rraw?" A voice came from his mouth, his mouth.

He looked at his body, his now reptilian eyes widening ever so slightly at the sight of his now dark dull gray scales… He had turned into a dragon.

To be more specific, a non-elemental dragon hatchling.

"Take that Zerbst!"

The words caught his attention, it was Japanese or English yet he understood them easily. The pink haired girl was boasting in what could be called the most prideful expression he had ever seen in his life.

Which was now only ten seconds old...

"Ms. Valliere, please finish the contract." A bald old man said-

Danger, Danger, Threat, Threat, Strong, Caution!

Something screamed at him from inside the moment he looked at the old man, it was like his instincts- No, something else...

He focused his attention on the old man.

Higher… Higher what… Wait… Higher level… Higher level than him.

His attention was too focused on the old man to notice the pink petite girl bend down and kiss his newly born snout.

Pain.

His body flailed about, the already sharp claws scratching the pink girl's cheek as she recoiled away from him. Something was burning him! Its carving into his scales!

Unknown to Saito, our newest Chosen Dragon, the Familiar Spirit Runes began engraving themselves on the back claw of him.

Warcraft 3 heroes had a default natural resistance to all magical spells.

Unfortunately for him, the Map Maker negated that magical resistance in his map to provide gameplay balance.

Once again, Saito Hiraga's vision was enveloped by darkness.

Meanwhile, a certain Louise Valliere cried out in alarm for the well being of her newest draconic familiar.

* * *

His vision was blurry, everything hurt… Thankfully he could tolerate it after years of practicing martial arts. He took this time to recover, focusing on first finding out what the hell happened. Everything was going off like usual when the map loaded and began playing its cinematic intro.

Did someone attack him in his own house? Impossible, he had everything locked and it was like the middle of the afternoon.

He got back up, and looked around. It was like a giant white room, where the hell is he?

He spotted something in the distance, taking a chance that it could be a exit, he walked towards it.

It wasn't.

Instead it was the World Editor with the screen the size of a one story house. But the World Editor looked different, for one, it's like in complete high defination, as if Blizzard Entertainment finally made Warcraft 4 and just handed him the newest editor for it.

Another is that the map that was currently loaded was not Life of a Dragon Sequel.

He should know, he's the Map Maker.

But, something was off.

He looked around for a mouse but couldn't find one, looking back up suddenly revealed a mouse on the screen. The Map Maker raised and eyebrow at its sudden appearance, he then tried to perhaps mentally move it.

It worked… It moved where he wanted it to. He then decided to check up on some things.

Opening the Object Editor, the place where all units, decoration, spells, and items could be forged, revealed all the data from his map and nothing else.

Yet looking at the newest map revealed all new locations with all new stuff that not even in the editor at all.

He opened up the Trigger Editor, the lifeblood of all functionality that made his map.

"What the fuck…" Was all the Map Maker could say.

All the Triggers he made, every single scrap of hard work, was locked.

Locked, not like password, but like he couldn't even access them.

He 'clicked' them so to speak, but it didn't do anything.

He tried creating new empty Triggers and they worked fine, but his previous ones were untouchable.

The Map Maker brought down the two sub-editors for a moment, and began scouting the new terrain that made up the new map.

Everything moved.

Not like the standard animation moved, everything moved like it was alive, living, nothing repeated, not even a single animation was the same.

It was like he was looking into a real-time video.

"What the hell is going on? Calm down… Let's do a small little experiment, very harmless."

He decide to bring up the Unit Palette, and scrolled into he got into Items.

"Spawning a cheese item won't do anything bad." He said to himself, bringing the mouse he saw the that ghostly preview of the cheese item was not a default golden chest, but an actual wheel of yellow cheese.

He placed it into the world next to a group of peasant farmers.

They all reacted instantaneously with shock, suspicion, and talking to one another.

He couldn't tell what they were saying.

"Oh crap… Is this real? I… Uh… I'll just leave that there... " The Map Maker said, then he noticed a bar had appeared on the top right of the screen.

99%.

"A battery life?"

100%.

"So it recharges… I'm limited to what I can do on the World Editor… Or what I can spawn?" He rubbed his chin, then went to Player Properties to check the player slots.

They were the same… Except they were different yet.

All the slots that were for players were 'Active'. The NPC slots looked the the same except had a sort of life bar attached to them.

He clicked on the active slot for Player 1: Red.

The World Editor's camera panned to what looked like a set of large towers and a school-like building. Then he spotted a non-elemental agility dragon hatchling hero in the arms, like actually carrying the hatchling, of a pink haired teenager.

He hovered his mouse of the hatchling.

Saito Hiraga - Player 1.

"..."

"I hope this is a freaking lucid dream." The Map Maker said to himself as he went to see what the other 9 players were, he took notice that the time in the editor traveled faster than his place. For every minute here, five minutes occurred there.

That could pose a problem if this dream was actually real and not some high drug attempt.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! The story will primarily follow Saito Hiraga and Louise. But will have occasional transitions to the other 9 players and the Map Maker. But every chapter will included both Saito and Louise!

Current Status:

Chosen Dragon Player 1: Saito Hiraga - Alive - Hatchling (Agility)

Chosen Dragon Player 2: Unknown  
Chosen Dragon Player 3: Unknown

Chosen Dragon Player 4: Unknown

Chosen Dragon Player 5: Unknown

Dragon Slayer Player 6: Unknown

Dragon Catcher Player 7: Unknown

The Human Kingdom Player 8: Unknown

The Fel Empire Player 9: Unknown

Mercenary Player 10: Unknown

Observer Map Maker: Map Maker - Alive - The World Editor


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note** : Thank you for the reviews, I'm glad many of you like the concept I've managed to pull through. Originally I thought of writing a DBZxFoZ crossover using one of my OC characters, but I changed my mind when I got back in working on my Warcraft 3 map. This is a far more interesting idea that will prove most entertaining for both me and you, the readers. Now without further a due.

* * *

Life of a Zero Dragon

Chapter 2: The Starting Point

Louise Le Blanc De La Valliere couldn't believe she had summoned a dragon! But, of course, the dragon was only a hatchling. What she had really summoned was a dragon egg that was beginning to hatch just as she had summoned it with an explosive result.

The pink teenager pressed a hand on the check with a bandage, that had hurt when she completed the contract. The dragon hatchling's claws and teeth were fully developed and very sharp. Of course, it's only a minor scratch and will easily heal over, but her familiar had still harmed her.

But when she thought about it, it was only a hatchling, the first thing it experienced when born was the pain of the contract.

She'll forgive it this time.

But only because it's a dragon in the first place that she summoned!

"Thank you, Founder, thank you, thank you…" She whispered quietly while sitting on the bed, watching the sleeping hatchling that lies on the hay pile. "I actually did a spell… I'm not a Zero! Also a dragon at that, can't wait to shove it in the Zerbst's face."

Again, though, it was a hatchling.

A baby in human terms.

She had to take care of it until it grew.

"But… Dragons can decades, centuries, to grow… Will I be stuck with a hatchling all my life? Sure it's cute and has very well-toned claws but it probably can't fly, and it's not big enough to be a threat… Probably can't even breath fire."

She took a deep breath, "Rule of Steel… Rule of Steel…" She muttered while finally placing her wand on the top of the desk.

Louise stared at her hatchling's form once again, almost not believe it was even there.

"A name… I got to think of a name… Isabelle? No, too common. It's a dragon so it has to have a more elegant name, worthy of its service to a Valliere!"

The Zero spent the next ten minutes trying to come up with a name.

"Erisdar… That's it." She said finally getting on her feet and dressing for bed. "Erisdar, Dragon of the Valliere." Louise's excitement for the next day grew every second until she was under the sheets.

"Erisdar… My familiar…" Louise said in a soft tone before drifting into a sleep.

* * *

Her vision was blurry, like some sort of stereotypical anime she had watched before, still, groaning through the numbing sensation that racked her body she managed to get up on two feet.

She felt different.

She pressed a hand to her face, but the texture was different.

When her vision fully recovered she noticed her body was more… Developed. Not in the way of mammary size but in the toning of her muscles and figure. Her clothes were a long green cloak and hood that covered a large portion of her body, but underneath was a set of leather armor with the appearance as it was made recently. The woman could also feel some sort of item attached to her, and further investigation revealed a longbow the length of her entire body with a quiver attached the backside of her cloak.

When she took it off of her body and grasped it in one hand, the player couldn't help but notice how light it was, not to mention, something kept instinctively telling her how to use it.

She knew how to use it.

How to use an arrow, when the correct time to use it, how to aim professionally.

Not to mention, a single glance on the bow seemed to fill her mind with information.

Glacion's Bow increases her attack speed and enhances the damage dealt by the arrows.

Glacion was Rosina's Grandmother, her Grandmother, the weapon- Wait, wait, wait!

Glacion wasn't her grandmother!

Yet now it felt like she was...

She, player 7, was now Rosina.

"Oh my god is this happening right now? Did someone spike my drink?" Rosina said out loud, her voice had changed, it sounded like the high elven archers of Warcraft 3.

Rosina shook her head, now's not the time to billy babble when she doesn't even know where she is! Not to mention, it freaking cold!

Well, it was snowing.

Then she heard the howling of wolves.

"Shit…" Rosina said out loud as she gripped the bow tightly, yet also not too much. "If I'm now a Warcraft 3 hero character from the map, then these wolves should be cupcakes compared to me… Now… Do I have access to my hero abilities?"

Thinking about her character's Hero Abilities made a picture in her mind appear instantly, a thick red cross that she accessed to reveal her list of abilities she could learn for using her first skill point as a Level 1 Dragon Catcher.

Rosina couldn't believe she had all that information spinning in her mind, but she was a player, a gamer, and she had played the Dragon Catcher countless times before.

She chooses Frost Arrows, it would decrease both attack and movement speed of her enemies while dealing additional damage from the frost attacks.

The minute she selected this 'choice' she knew exactly how to do it.

She could also feel her Mana reserves, like a full cup of water in her, but they weren't very large. Of course, Rosina knew that the character was only level 1.

White winter wolves came into sight, a duo of them, once catching her in their senses they charged without caution.

These were Warcraft 3 creeps, monsters, not native creatures to this new world. They had no sense of self-preservation and fought with the same strength no matter their current state of injury.

Rosina let the instincts engraved in her character's body control her motions, the Dragon Catcher dodging out of the way of a wolf's claws and letting loose two arrows into the beast's body. Both arrows upon release glowed with dark blue energy that upon impacted created a sound of shattering ice.

The entire wolf's body became blue, its movements slowed to a crawl.

She quickly launched more arrows, killing the creature, then she felt a claw slash against her.

Her armor held the wound was nothing more than a minor bruise.

Rosina realized she had the same durability as the character as well, thank goodness.

The frost wolves never stood a chance as she finished both of them off with a multitude of Frost Arrows.

She rested against the cliffside of a wintery area she was in. Player green investigated the wounds she happened to have during the battle… They were healing faster than normally, still very slowly, but the fact she could see the bruise healing at a quickening pace was both fascinating and creepy.

"What the hell happened…"

* * *

He had been walking through this valley for the past hour.

Who was he? Well, in the lobby he would be considered Player 6.

He was a Dragon Slayer, Celdrahil.

And right now he was living the dream.

Celdrahil hated real life, with a passion, it was a boring, pointless waste of a life. There was nothing to do except escape from the mundane by entering the world of video games. But now, he was the Dragon Slayer, now he was in a new world!

His location held some similarity to the valley in Life of a Dragon Sequel's terrain, but when walking further, he noticed differences that were never on the map. Those differences could never be called new material because it was pretty impossible.

His strength, skill with a blade, and with the Hero Abilities, he destroyed everything in his way.

Unfortunately, he had yet to meet a real challenge, most of those were gnolls, very basic weak creatures with little to no brain. But he had felt something occur to him when slaying the things.

His entire figure had lit up briefly in a flash of gold, he had 'leveled up'. When that sensation occurred he felt everything seemingly increase. Strength, Agility, Intelligence, all increased as well as being able to select the Critical Strike ability in his Hero.

The moment he learned that spell, he instinctively knew how to find an opening within a creature's defenses easier than before.

He chuckled, "This is living… I am now Celdrahil, Dragon Slayer! And by God will I fulfill that title to be worthy of becoming a hero!"

* * *

My liege!"

He groaned, who wakes him up at this hour?

"My liege please awaken!"

Why was that voice calling him liege?

"Heal!"

A strange yellow light burned through the darkness and he felt himself be revitalized, allowing him to open his eyes and groan as he rubbed his forehead. His sight was greeted with the image of a huge room filled with items fit for royalty with the likelihood of King Arthur fairy tales.

He looked to the side of the bed chamber he current lay in, revealing a man in his forties clothed in the garment of the Priest Caretaker like in Life of a Dragon Sequel.

Hold the phone, the what from the what?

"My liege I'm glad you have awakened,"

"What happened?" He asked more to himself than the caretaker.

"Well, young King Aylmer, both you and the princess collapsed in front of the throne without any warning. I took control briefly and sounded the alarm while the priests took you into the Castle building to recover. The Kingdom Capital is on high alert."

Aylmer, or Player 8, rubbed his forehead, listening vaguely before remembering something about a princess.

"Princess?"

"Your young sister, Abigail, sire?"

"Abigail?! Is she alright?" That was the name of his younger sister, he knew that name anywhere!

The Caretaker smiled, "Yes, the princess is perfectly fine."

Aylmer breathed a sigh of relief, before getting up and noticing a few particular things.

He decided to analyze this in a calm manner, throwing away his confusion and panic into the wind.

One, he is now occupying the body of the Life of a Dragon Sequel Human Kingdom's hero, Aylmer, a young teenage king around sixteen years. He took notice his 'model' or appearance matched a young Arthas from the campaign of Warcraft 3. However, there was a blade nearby though it looked like an average sword and not Frostmourne.

Two, since he is 'Aylmer', he controls the entirety of the Human Kingdom. A vast nation in the land of Ehb with two towns, two cities, and the heavily fortified capital. The Human Kingdom's primary color is Pink since that is the color of Player 8. In early to mid-game the Kingdom was a powerful force as it could quickly upgrade its units with vast amounts of research.

Three, his sister, who was sitting on his lap while he played Warcraft 3, had also been potentially transported to this strange realm. That was bad, very bad. Abigail had a genetic disease that required her to have a bi-monthly visit to the Hospital for treatment, otherwise, her body would slowly kill itself. Not to mention she's only six years of age.

Four, the NPCs, or non-player characters, now had human-like personalities. Which means they are not just units on a playing field for him to control and direct as he pleases. He needed more information on their loyalty and capabilities.

For now, he would go by the name Aylmer.

Aylmer decided the best solution would recollect all he knew of the Human Kingdom, then find possible answers or temporary treatment for his sister when the month arrives.

"Marthan?" He questionably said.

"Yes, sire?" The caretaker, Marthan, replied.

"I need to refresh my memory, tell me about the Kingdom."

"As you wish, my liege…"

* * *

Saito Hiraga awoke in the early mornings, hunger pains burning from his stomach. He struggled to get on his feet only to tumble and fall, as if standing on two legs was a foreign concept. The Japenese teen turned dragon growled in irritation. He forgot he magically turned into a freaking dragon from the Warcraft custom map.

He took notice of his draconic wings, he could feel them, like an extension of him like with the familiarity of an arm or leg.

'This is so weird!' Saito thought to himself. 'This has got to be a dream of some sort, there is no way, no way that I'm a dragon!'

He stole a glance at a large mirror and realized that a dragon hatchling did indeed look right back at him.

'Screw it, I'm a dragon now…'

He got on all four legs and starting walking forward, at first, it was clumsy, but the body he now had sort of guided him into the correct motions. A few minutes later and he got it down somewhat.

That didn't stop him from falling face forward once and smashing his head into the bottom drawer of a dresser.

'Damn it!' Saito thought as he pressed a claw against the dresser. He got back up and lifted his head, the drawer opening up.

He blinked.

The drawer was full of cute little panties.

'Hehe…' He chuckled, a humorous high pitched draconic voice escaping his jaws.

"Mmh…"

"Grawr?!" Saito gasped in alarm at almost being caught looking at such lewd objects. He quickly shut the drawer, his wings beating up and down in his panic which caused him to hover across the floor and into the wall on the other side of the room.

"Grooooo…" Saito mumbled in pain, 'Why do I keep hitting things?'

"Oh… Right… My familiar... Erisdar," A female voice softly said.

'Who?' Saito questioned in his mind, turning his attention to a pink twelve-year-old girl.

'No, little too tall, maybe fourteen? Still, she's kinda cute.'

The girl casually got up and began undressing without care that the member of the- Oh.

'Going by Map's dragons, I don't actually have a gender until I reach level 5… But does leveling even work anymore? Heck, can I even use the Hero Abilities? Ugh this world is so weird and everything is going all over the place and why is this all happening to me?!'

"Dragon, from now on your name is now Erisdar! I am your master, Louise Le Blanc De La Valliere!" The teenage pink-haired girl dressed in a mage's school uniform exclaimed loudly and pridefully at the dragon player.

The Chosen Dragon hatchling, Saito, only stared at her in disbelief.

'This girl can't be serious…'

"Now follow me Erisdar!" Louise said, grabbing the small dragon and carrying him off with ease out of the room.

"Rawr!" His voice sounded surprised, 'You gotta be kidding me!'

* * *

Current Status:

Chosen Dragon Player 1: Saito Hiraga - Alive - Hatchling (Agility)

Chosen Dragon Player 2: Unknown

Chosen Dragon Player 3: Unknown

Chosen Dragon Player 4: Unknown

Chosen Dragon Player 5: Unknown

Dragon Slayer Player 6: Celdrahil - Alive - Slayer

Dragon Catcher Player 7: Rosina - Alive- Catcher

The Human Kingdom Player 8: Aylmer and Abigail - Alive - Royalty of Human Kingdom.

The Fel Empire Player 9: Unknown

Mercenary Player 10: Unknown

Observer Map Maker: Map Maker - Alive - The World Editor


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** I'll like to say this before we begin our story's chapter. I'm not one of those people who like to basically flow through the exact same story as the cannon goes. For example, there should be a great deal more differences if Saito is summoned than if Louise summoned a dragon. In a way it's like a Butterfly Effect, one change can lead to a whole new different story. Not to say there won't be similarities, especially this early, but the differences will be very apparent as it goes.

 **MurphysLaw89** : Never read Halkegenia Online, only heard of it. But thanks for the review!

Now enjoy, and please leave a review, it really brightens my day and fills me with Determination (to write more that is.)

* * *

Life of a Zero Dragon

Chapter 3: Runes of Zero

Alright, becoming a dragon was not in the plans at all.

Not to mention being transported to the middle of a forest.

But… Could she really put the blame on the map maker?

Everything went like usual, she was a big roleplayer, and especially loved player non-humanoid creatures. Life of a Dragon Sequel provided a way to play as a Dragon of all things, and with it being in an online setting, well, it was almost addicting.

She joined just in time to play as Player 5, the last dragon slot.

Now she had become a Chosen Dragon due to some mysterious circumstance.

The non-elemental Dragon only could sign, the first thing that happened was that she had been enveloped by blackness with a voice calling out to choose her attribute. Naturally she valued Intelligence, as she knew that stat increased her mana pool and mana regeneration rate.

She hatched soon after, graced with the sight of a very large chested high elf and a group of fascinated children.

Apparently the elf girl originally wanted to serve the egg as breakfast, good thing she hatched at that time. Since then the crowd of orphaned children would crowd and play with her often.

Only a day had passed and she already felt attached to this place, but still there were dangers lurking about. A few experiments in whatever free time she could muster revealed very striking revelations that her new draconic body ran on mostly Warcraft 3 rules.

Mostly, there were few exceptions like hunger, sleep, and basic body necessities. Not to mention the feeling of pain. That last one was on accident when a boy got a little too zealous on playing the 'knight'.

Still, a brief stroll through the forest revealing a shocking truth.

This new world had some creeps, or monsters, from Life of a Dragon Sequel spill over.

At that instant, she, Cora Rune, would have to get stronger to protect this little orphanage.

Cora wanted to get back home, that is true, she had family and friends, yet right now until an answer could be found, she would protect the Elf girl and the children from danger.

* * *

"Onii-chan!"

"Abigail I thought I told you not to call me that, it's embarrassing." The young king, Aylmer, eight player of Life of a Dragon Sequel and ruler of the Human Kingdom of Ehb, replied back to his younger sister.

The younger sister frowned, she was small, six years of age, with a blond hair tied back in a pony-tail and with brown eyes. Whether by fortune or luck her appearance hadn't changed upon their transition to this new world. It also helped that she naturally looked like a sibling to Aylmer's model.

It would help ease politics if the NPCs ever went into that.

"That's my duty as you're younger sister!" Abigail stated proudly, "And as a princess, I gotta make sure you're always on your toes!"

"This isn't anime, Abigail." Aylmer said, but couldn't help the small smile spread across his face.

"My liege, the reports have come in." The Caretaker Marthan arrived with book in hand and a quill slotted on one side in a sort of leather strap.

"Read it out loud, Marthan." He replied in a mix of formality and informal speech, the player only had the experience of his previous playthroughs as the Kingdom. Not to mention knowledge from the internet and entertainment outlets.

Marthan opened the book, "Before I start, my King, all settlements report large increases in land mass. It seems the moment you collapsed the entire world decided to undergo severe geological changes. Winterfall, the northernmost town, reported that the increase in land has decreased the possibility of troll attacks and also will allow room for growth. However the mountain behind them has drastically increased in size, caves that were not there before have appeared but fortunately the gold mine remains relatively unhindered. However the increase in land will make travel time between them and the Capital much longer."

Winterfall, a small town in the snow regions of the map, in the game the snow region it was the location of the Blue Dragons and the Troll creeps. Despite that, it was one of the safest regions from enemy player attacks.

"Arcantis reports that their magical defenses and arcane enchantments have luckily remained the same despite the shifting of the world. They also report the Rasc River had incredibly increased in length from its already long state. Ship travel between them and Desert City has decreased in time, but they stated they can find solutions with some arcane enhancements to the ships. They also report that the eastern biome of Orangebark Trees has disappeared and replaced by an unknown landscape."

Arcantis, a small mage town, one of the weaker in terms of fighting off enemy armies, it made up for it for being able to stave off enemy Heroes. The Feedback spell used in the defensive towers damage a Hero's mana and uses it against them. It's also the primary location of Priests, Sorceress, and Emissary spellcasters.

But the complete removed and change of a Biome? He knew it couldn't have changed by the Mapmaker as it was an important part of the Map, home of the Red Dragons, Ogres, and the NPC-controlled town of Orangeleaf.

Not to mention, the ancient ruins of the old Human Kingdom from the original Life of a Dragon, the precursor to this 'map'.

"Desert City reports that the desert to the south has changed so drastically that there is no end in sight. The ocean area in that location has also disappeared from sight and the Grass Mountain next to them has… Moved a bit further away, thankfully still within travel distance. The Elven Forest above them has been replaced by green pastures suitable for farming. They also inform the same issues with the river that Arcantis stated."

Desert City, the largest Human Kingdom owned territory. It's the main hub for Players and also the center of many the battles between the Kingdom and the Fel Empire. The Tax collected from there gives a large chunk of most gold income and the shops within hold powerful items… For the right price.

"There has been no word from Polarvale City or the City-State of Orangeleaf."

"What?" Aylmer said, Polarvale? The Human Kingdom had another city? He briefly tried to recollect all the known territories… Wait… There was that one city that was burning because of demons-

"Oh shit…" He said in a whisper.

"Pardon, my liege?" Marthan questioned.

"Polarvale has been destroyed, Marthan." Aylmer recollected his composure.

"Destroyed? How?" The Caretaker responded.

"Demons, Marthan, Demons have come and destroyed the citizens of the city. They are powerful, we will need a decent sized military force to deal with them… Or a high leveled Hero."

"This is terrible news, I'm inform the peasants to construct military buildings across the Capital immediately my liege. We do have a Hero, the Mercenary Sorceress that is currently in Arcantis."

That shocked Aylmer, the Mercenary Player, there was another player!

"Onii-chan?" Abigail said in confusion.

"Get the Mercenary to the Capital immediately!"

* * *

Louise had to leave Erisdar, her familiar dragon, outside with the other familiar spirits while she ate breakfast within the hall. Her peers dared not look at her after her overwhelming success with yesterday's summoning. That single thought gave her joy and pride that no one could squash at the moment.

Nobody even looked to her, with the exception of a few glancing toward her direction with stares that basically asked 'Is she really the Zero?'

"Did you really summon a dragon?" A second year asked.

"Yes, I summoned a dragon!" Louise Valliere replied proudfully.

She had already sent a letter to her family detailing the events of the summoning ritual.

"Aren't you a Zero?" Another student asked.

"Psh, like that name ever fit my noble self and magic." Louise brushed it off.

The seventeen-year-old girl finished her breakfast before walking outside elegentally. Her eyes darting around the grassy field before spotting the position of her dragon familiar, Erisdar. All secondary students, which included her, had the day off to bond with their new familiar.

She quickly made her way, and had a nearby servant give her a chair to sit on while in front of Erisdar.

The unbeknownst void-user briefly noted how much meat Erisdar was gobbling down, that might put a small dent in her financial allowance.

"You're lucky, Erisdar, as the familiar of a noble I have to take care of you. In turn, you will protect me, help me gather reagents, and provide me transport when you have grown to sufficient size."

The hatchling glanced up at her with an odd expression she couldn't identify at the moment, before going back to its meal.

Louise Valliere sighed, Erisdar was only a hatchling, it probably didn't understand a word she said even with the runes.

She watched as the dragon continued eating, "What kind of dragon are you anyway… I've never seen anything in books even closely resembling your appearance."

The Valliere daughter even browsed through tomes concerning rhyme dragons the day before, even that didn't even describe the strange look of Erisdar.

*SLAP!*

Louise was brought out of her stupor by the sound of a slap against the cheek, she, and her dragon, both looked towards the direction to see Guiche de Gramont. A classmate of Louise, on the ground with a red mark on his left cheek.

Louise stood up, barely holding a laugh once she figured out the predicament that noble got himself into. Unfortunately, it also made her pretty much in clear sight.

A perfect target to lay the blame.

"How dare you, Louise, taint the names of two beautiful maidens!" Guiche yelled at her with a point look and a malicious looking expression.

"Taint? Why would I do something you clearly done yourself?" Louise replied.

"It seems that you don't understand what you have done, I challenge you to do duel!"

The crowd that gathered gasped at the declaration.

Louise almost lost her demeanour, how could she fight in a duel, Guiche was a earth mage while all her spells do is explode! Then she remembered.

"Duels are forbidden or did you forget, Gramont?"

"Ah, but little Louise, duels of a Noble against a familiar are not." Guice said in reply.

Louise bit her lip, Erisdar wouldn't stand a chance against a noble and his magic. Not as a hatchling by anyway!

But to reject a duel would harm her reputation as a noble.

Curse that dog of a noble!

Louise shouted, "I accept your dual, Guiche!"

"I'll be seeing you as Viscount Court then," Guiche walked away with a smug expression that he had already run.

Louise Valliere in the meantime, continuous had the thought of 'What have I done?' running through her head.

She rushed off to grab Erisdar and bring him into a private corner away from the masses.

"Erisdar listen, I'll try to convince Guiche to avoid hurting you too much. Please, just, don't die okay? I can't lose you… You're all I got as proof I'm a mage… You can't die…"

* * *

"You can't die…"

'This is serious, Louise looks like I'm practically her lifeline for the future.' Saito Hiraga thought to himself, figuring out her name due to the commotion earlier. 'I don't understand what's going on, but even with her difficult personality, I can't help but care about her.'

The dragon hatchling human-in-disguise nodded, "Rawr!" He said to reassure her.

'I'm a dragon, a chosen dragon in that. If I beat this Guiche not only with I help Louise but it might give me enough experience to see if I can level up like normally.' Saito thought.

Louise smiled, "Thanks Erisdar…"

Time passed…

Saito couldn't believe that he now found himself in the midst of a dual.

He was level one for Kami's sake, player versus player didn't happen until double-digits at least!

'Calm down, think, I choose Agility, right? Which means I should have the ability that comes with it for Hatchlings and Dragonets…' Saito thought as he ignored Guiche's proclamations and Louise's replies.

He had to focus right now.

Thinking of the ability came a shocking revalations, the spell's description, benefits, duration, everything came to the forefront of his mind the moment he thought its name. It was just ready to be used at a moment's notice.

It had a corny name, but it fitted what it did.

'Fast, Very Fast' He thought, that was indeed the spell's name. It drastically increased attack and movement speed for a duration of fifteen seconds. Then it had a half a minute cool down before he could activate it again.

"The match has already started, Louise!" Guiche yelled aloud as he threw red petals from the rose he carried onto the ground.

Saito's dragon jaw dropped in surprise as the petals glowed blue on the ground and formed a strange creature made of a metal.

"My runic name is Guiche the Brass, thus your familiar opponents will be my brass golems, Valkyries to be precise."

'Wait, I haven't figured out what my first Hero Ability is!' Saito said in alarm, but all that came out was a panicky hatchling sound.

The lone valkyrie golem charged forward with haste, raising a metallic fist at the chosen dragon hatchling.

"Erisdar!" Louise yelled in alarm, "Watch out!"

'Fast, Very Fast! Activate!' Saito screamed.

Runes glowed on the back of his claw...

Fifteen seconds...

Everything slowed, as if time itself have given him a break and granted him slow motion view. But the brass golem still charged at him, though it was now like walking speed.

He moved around the punch the valkyrie thrust at him, and slice at the golem with his claws. They shred through the armor only a bit, but it still stood, turning to face him.

Ten seconds…

It tried to attack him with the weapon it held, but Saito moved out of the way, causing it to mix. He instinctively reacted to the threat, teeth baring as it chomped upon the leg of the golem… Before chomping it in half.

Five seconds…

He bashed his entire body unto the creature, using the weight against it, his wings seemed to open up, flapping forward which caused his body to hover away quickly. This attack motion he had done was the exact same animation used his in the map's small dragons.

Zero.

The brass golem collapsed all over the ground, leaving Saito breathing heavily, he couldn't believe that worked. He had done all that instinctively… That's it!

Hatchling Instinct, it was a hero ability that provided increased evasion and critical strike chance. Maybe that's how he knew where and how to claw and strike at the right moment.

Meanwhile, the runes embedded on the backside of his claw dimmed down.

The crowd was cheering like mad, and Louise seemed to be in a state of shock, Guiche appeared to almost wet his pants at the ease of 'Erisdar's' method of dealing with the golem.

A golden light appeared around Saito's figure before a brief moment, shocking him and all around him.

'I leveled up?' He thought, thinking about his hero abilities he realized a whole selection was open to him again. But he felt he only could choose one right now.

Blink, Hatchling Instinct Rank 2, and Attribute Bonus.

He choose Blink, a short-distance self-teleport.

He used it to get in front of Guiche, if only to scare him into submission. The chosen hatchling's entire body lit up in a bright blue light before vanishing, that same light appeared right in front of Guiche De Gramont with a snarling Saito Hiraga in front of him.

The coward of a earth mage collapsed on his rear end.

"I surrender! Louise, stop your familiar before it eats me!"

'Like I would ever eat you, that's disgusting.' Saito thought.

Louise laughed, a smug look on her face, "Good work, Erisdar! Now stop your attacking!" She commanded while walking up to Guiche and Saito.

'I wasn't going to attack him anyway.' Saito said to himself, 'Seems kind of unfair how Louise is getting all the credit when I did the work!'

"Apologize, Gramont." Louise said.

"I'm sorry Louise, you definitely aren't a Zero at all! You are a talented mage and noble, now please let me go." Guiche begged.

The teenage Valliere nodded, "I forgive you."

Saito rolled his reptilian eyes, 'I better get rewarded for this, I'm still hungry.'

* * *

Current Status:

Chosen Dragon Player 1: Saito Hiraga - Alive - Hatchling (Agility) Level 2

Chosen Dragon Player 2: Unknown

Chosen Dragon Player 3: Unknown

Chosen Dragon Player 4: Unknown

Chosen Dragon Player 5: Cora Rune - Alive- Hatchling (Intelligence) Level 1

Dragon Slayer Player 6: Celdrahil - Alive - Slayer Level 3

Dragon Catcher Player 7: Rosina - Alive- Catcher Level 2

The Human Kingdom Player 8: Aylmer and Abigail - Alive - Royalty of Human Kingdom.

The Fel Empire Player 9: Unknown

Mercenary Player 10: Unknown - Alive - Sorceress

Observer Map Maker: Map Maker - Alive - The World Editor


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note** : Thanks for the reviews guys, I'm really into writing this story! Now, to answer some review questions. But first I'll like to say that I NEVER do something without a reason, that includes to why Guiche suddenly made a duel with little Louise out of the blue.

 **Thorfaxdragonkin:** Maybe, there might be a malicious dragon or two. It could be a Chosen Dragon (Player) or an NPC Dragon gone rogue. Thanks for the support!

 **JEJP Bengtzone V2** : Perhaps, perhaps. We shall see. As for the orbs, yes, many Warcraft 3 items as well as Custom Items from Life of a Dragon Sequel with make appearances over time. I believe I already PMed concerning Warcraft Lore. Thanks for the support.

 **PhantomWolf** (Guest): I purposely made Guiche's dual like that for a reason explained in this chapter. Thanks for the support!

 **Riddi Scott:** Same answer for Wolf, thanks for the support!

* * *

Life of a Zero Dragon

Chapter 4: Strange Thoughts

The following day, Louise Valliere found Guiche Gramont outside in the hallway. At first, the earth Mage only briefly glanced at her, but the teenage pink haired girl wanted an explanation. Alongside her, walking on all four, Erisdar curiously looked at where his master was going.

"Guiche," Louise began. "Why did you suddenly declare a dual at me like that?"

Guiche Gramont looked to her and opened his mouth to reply like it was expected, but then his face contorted in confusion.

"I don't know… It was like some strange force had overcome me. As if all the sudden I stopped thinking of my noble self and just had to take action against the dragon that is your familiar."

Louise eyes widened before narrowing, "What you mean some strange force, it looked pretty clear you were in control of yourself!"

Guiche raised his hands in defense, "I'm telling the truth! One moment I was falling down from my… The incident with the girls, to the ground… The next all I could think about was fighting your familiar."

"That makes no sense," Louise crossed her arms in disbelief.

"I swear upon my title as a Gramont, I didn't have any intention of putting the blame on you. Think about it, you weren't even in the crowd, you were pretty out of the way in a manner of speaking."

'It's true,' Louise couldn't help but think. 'I was not even in plain sight because I was paying attention to Erisdar.'

The blondie boy bowed, "Please let me make it up to you in any way. A noble should always keep himself in control and I must atone for my mistake regardless."

"Well…" Louise took a glance at Erisdar who looked to her oddly once again. "There is something you might help me with…"

* * *

The Map Maker frowned, he hated playing god. But he had to test some triggering on something just in case it didn't function. Not to mention, out of all the Players, Saito was in the safest place.

But that was also bad, the moment Saito left he would be incredibly vulnerable unless he's higher level.

So, the Map Maker had viewed the school's abilities. It appeared the Saito, or Player 1, had made allies with the NPC nation, Tristan.

It might be because of the pink haired teenager, Louise Valliere.

The Map Maker discovered early he could view full detailed descriptions of the NPCs by 'double-clicking' them. Though strangely enough chunks of information were blurred out on different NPCs than others.

Louise Valliere happened to be one of those blurred info characters.

Getting back on track, the Map Maker created a simple trigger by making a tiny region.

It goes as follows:

Event - Unit owned by Tristan enters (Test Region)

Condition - If (Level of Entering unit) equal or less than 5.

Action - Order (Entering unit) to attack unit (Saito Hiraga).

Turn off this trigger.

The Map Maker has paid close attention to what occurred.

First off, it appeared that these native NPCs had a small resilience to World Editor triggers. But it wasn't enough, it only delayed the triggers purpose with time.

For example, the blond teenage 'Guiche' activated the trigger, so he was the Entering Unit. The trigger was supposed to make him attack Saito immediately.

Instead, a short dialogue leading to a duel in which the trigger than fully activated occurred. After the initial attack, the trigger ended like usual and Guiche returned to his senses so to speak.

Still, it did its purpose. Guiche had unknowingly helped the Map Maker know more of his limits while aiding in Saito gaining a level and increasing his chances of survival.

Even if it was against his own will.

Which is why the Map Maker hated having done that.

But it was necessary.

Normally a player with a hatchling wouldn't worry about dying, they would get free resurrections across the board until they reached level 7. At this point, they only had one free resurrection before it was permanent.

But the Map Maker didn't want to let the risk of seeing if the Revival Triggers even worked.

He trusted the Altar buildings more than his triggering at the moment. The Altars were powerful Hero reviving constructs that all other players outside of Dragons and the Mercenary had. As long as they had it they could revive continuously upon death if it did take time.

Why not just spawn items like gear and experience gifting tomes?

Well, for one he's not stupid enough to make the natives go crazy over the strange appearances of items possibly stronger than any magical artifact they have ever encountered.

Two, he tried spawning items near a player. But he kept getting the error sound.

There was something blocking his access to physically implant objects in the world without having to use the editor's energy in large quantities. The max range is ten miles to a player hero, and that's nearly useless if he can't even communicate with them.

The stronger the object, the more energy. He spawned a copy of the Slayer's Sword level 1 on an island, it took down battery life by 10%.

And that's generally a weak item.

It takes ten minutes in his time for it to recover at least 1%. He dares not see what happens when it's battery life reaches 0% at all.

These reasons are why he's focusing most of his attention on the Chosen a Dragon players, he spotted the Mercenary Player in the Human Kingdom so 'she' should be safe from native nonplayer characters.

He had to differ the Players and the natives of this world, using NPCs as a term helped. He in no way likes to mess with other beings. If the other players hadn't come into this world as well, he would have left the natives alone and tried to find a way back by himself.

Again, he hates playing god.

Ironic considering he does it on a virtual screen, but that was it, it was virtual.

Now he doesn't know what's real or not, so best to treat it all as real until proven otherwise.

"Huh?" He said as he noticed something, "Oh no… Oh no, no, no, I got to get that player out of there!"

The Chosen Dragon player 2 was in danger.

* * *

The Mercenary, Player 10, also known as Elizabeth Loyal had done some research of her own while investigating the Human Kingdom town of Arcantis. Not only did the town itself now appear like a full thriving living community, but it also appeared like a town and now a small little square of man-made structured on the map.

She had been cautious as first, it was a Mage city with magic everywhere. But the 'NPCs' so to speak had been aware she was a 'Hero'.

They didn't speak of the term 'Hero' like a hero of a story, but more of a clarification of a power person, or a person with the potential to be incredibly powerful.

Elizabeth had initially thought that the units would follow the Warcraft franchise way of speaking and interacting, but they were different.

Sure they still sounded like Warcraft 3 units when they spoke, but they didn't repeat or have a set number of lines. Not to mention the lore.

The Lore.

It wasn't Warcraft 3 lore, Life of a Dragon Sequel had its own set of lore. The Human Kingdom wasn't the Alliance just like the Fel Empire wasn't just feel orcs from the Horde. Dragons were not like Dragons in World of Warcraft though they share the same Warcraft 3 models and had similar but not identical abilities.

Many elven models for the humans were replaced by human counterparts, and if a Warcraft equivalent couldn't be found, custom human models replaced it instead. There were few exceptions.

Sorceress happens to be one of them.

So it was really strange for her to be a 'high elf' in a human city yet still be called human.

The Mercenary Player guessed that high elves do not exist in Life of a Dragon lore, but a shoot off of the night elves did. She had no clue where they went as they and the forest they guarded simply vanished from the world, or at least, moved from where it was supposed to be.

But Elizabeth Loyal wasn't the map maker, so she wouldn't know every detail.

"Miss Loyal, Prince Aylmer would like to have words with you." A Knight came up riding upon a horse, completely armored with plate and mail.

"The Prince?" The mercenary player responded in a questionable matter, did that mean other players were sent into this world as well?

"Yes, he was quite insistent you come. You said you might recognize the word, Warcraft?" The Knight said to her.

A player.

"Lead the way Knight," She said, "But, by chance do you have a horse?"

* * *

The dual with that blond teen yesterday, Guiche, had given Saito Hiraga lots of information. Not only that but Louise's conversation with him in the hall also gave him snippets of what could potentially influence from Warcraft 3's custom map, Life of a Dragon Sequel, bleeding into this new world.

He was a Hero, a Chosen Dragon, with leveling and abilities tied to it. A hatchling couldn't carry any gear because they didn't have 'inventory slots' until they grew to Dragonet, which in human terms, means child for a dragon.

There could be a potential influence from the map taking slight control of people's actions when it concerns him. After all, the Warcraft map was an RPG type, which means it must provide challenges for the players growth. So is it possible for the game to be changing parts of the surrounding area around him to give him the adventure required?

'Ugh, this is so confusing…' Saito thought in irritation, 'This doesn't even account for Louise yet, I never was good with theories in school.'

The non-elemental hatchling lay on the hay pile within Louise's room, his eyes struggling to stay awake.

'With all the events going on it makes time seem like it passes by very quickly…' Saito continued to think, 'Why am I also feeling attached to Louise all the sudden too? I hardly know the girl yet… She feels like a mother…'

'Bah, I'm probably overthinking everything!' He moved his head and closed his eyes, drifting to slumber a few minutes after.

After all, what are the chances of something bad happening when he's a dragon?

* * *

Current Status:

Chosen Dragon Player 1: Saito Hiraga - Alive - Hatchling (Agility) Level 2

Chosen Dragon Player 2: Unknown - Alive - Hatchling (Unknown) Level ?

Chosen Dragon Player 3: Unknown

Chosen Dragon Player 4: Unknown

Chosen Dragon Player 5: Cora Rune - Alive- Hatchling (Intelligence) Level 1

Dragon Slayer Player 6: Celdrahil - Alive - Slayer Level 3

Dragon Catcher Player 7: Rosina - Alive- Catcher Level 2

The Human Kingdom Player 8: Aylmer and Abigail - Alive - Royalty of Human Kingdom.

The Fel Empire Player 9: Unknown

Mercenary Player 10: Elizabeth Loyal - Alive - Sorceress Level 1

Observer Map Maker: Map Maker - Alive - The World Editor


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note** : Thanks for the continued support everyone, I'm glad you all continue to enjoy the content I've provided you. Now, on with the story!

Also thanks for the Terminology catch, yes I meant to imply 'Paw' instead of 'Claw' for a lot of references.

* * *

Life of a Zero Dragon

Chapter 5: The Starting Point

It hurts… So much pain… What had he done to deserve this?

" **Chosen Dragon…"**

The blades stung… Arrows pierced...

" **You must live…"**

Powerful magic...

" **Fight, Chosen Dragon..."**

Move!

Player 2, Alex Storm, activated his Blink hero ability, disappearing in a spectacular display of blue light and reappearing just outside the dangerous wind blades's range. His Dragon body fueled with adrenaline, every instinct from it coursing through his veins and allowing his to make off with overwhelming bursts of energy in spite of his ever depleting mana reserves.

"Rawr!" Alex cried out in pain as blood pooled from his legs, he had been using his wings to carry him, thankfully they didn't require much stamina to function, a carry-over from Warcraft.

His body started to emit steam from his injuries as he activated his bonus attribute ability.

Bulky Bulk.

A corny name that saved his life countless times, it might increase his strength temporary to deal more damage yes, but it also provided crucial increased health regeneration for a precious 15 seconds.

And against foes like these, he'll need every advantage he could muster.

Arrows flew.

A reptilian eye widened.

Instinct took over.

His body rolled, spun, twisted, shafts and fletches running past it without harming a single scale.

Alex recollected himself, observing the area for a possible escape route.

But within this wide, vast desert there didn't appear to be anything in sight.

"We must not let it get away to the human nations!"

They came closer, he was cornered.

Surrounded…

His Blink ability still on cooldown…

"This is the end of the road, creature summoned by the void…"

No escape…

Death's door lies before him…

There is only one thing left for him to do...

" **Chosen Dragon..."**

Everything he could muster…

" **Fight and Live!"**

This is the story…

This is how all begins…

Magical spells from all around came at him, his attribute bonus still bursting through his body, he charged forward towards death, roaring.

A bolt of lightning.

* * *

The ground below is all but dark red dirt and stone, the skies but gray ash filtering into the air, around him he could see the devastated look out Outland, a realm both in World of Warcraft, and Warcraft 3. But the realm he currently resided in had no similarities to many of the strange places to which Blizzard Entertainment's online game held, it was only the striking similarities of its old Warcraft 3 counterpart.

But even more so, this particular set of terrain had identical resemblance to the starting region of the Fel Empire. A nation of fel orcs that would most likely play the role of the villain in many roleplays within the Warcraft 3 map, Life of a Dragon Sequel. Even if the lore pictured them just as evil or good as humans themselves, they were casually swept into the side of darkness just because of their appearance.

A misunderstood race, a ashened nation.

Now however, a human turned orc, player 10, was the king of this misfortuned empire.

"You gotta be kidding me, this… Is both f***ing awesome and worrying at the same time." The Fel Orc King, Grom, stated.

Not to be confused with Warcraft's Grommash Hellscream, Grom was the leader of his people, the Warchief that brought together and founded a portal to escape their desolated homeworld, destroyed by demonic energies in a battle between the orcs and demons to save their world.

A red-skinned peon came running to the Warchief.

"Warchief, the portal seems to have malfunctioned. Our Warlocks and Shamans are working on its energies as we speak and regained control, but upon sending scouts the entire terrain of the other world has shifted!"

"Show me," Grom stated, the player that became him secretly wondering what had happened, but decided to play along in a Roleplaying matter to attain a better grasp of the situation at hand.

At first it was very odd to walk in his new body, in comparison to his human self on Earth, he stood seven feet tall and absolutely decked in pure muscle. He had a large katana-like blade in a sheath, he was reminded that he was basically a Fel Orc Blademaster.

'At least I retained a great deal of my thinking, my major in the study of middle age warfare might prove useful with the Fel Empire.'

"As you can see Warchief, the portal is displaying a type of strange energy, you should ask our magic users more about them." The fel peon said.

He looked around, the portal was surrounded by a couple of wooden build watch towers with a fel crossbow-holding orc stationed within each one. Closer to the portal, a dozen spellcasters, half warlock half shaman, were examining the portal.

"What's the situation?" The Player said.

A Shaman turned, "Warchief we managed to re-activate the portal, but we can't seem to pinpoint the old location anymore. While outside the portal might seem identical to before, heading a ways out will reveal the location of some sort of beach against an ocean. Not the beach holding the three-headed hydra creatures or the vast desert."

"Mmh…" Grom's voice escape him, "Create defensive fortifications on the chokehold into the mountains that head towards the portal. Then sent a small scout force of a Captain and four grunts. "

"Yes, Warchief!" The Shaman said.

"Work, work." The peon getting the order and heading into the portal, most likely to begin creating the fortifications.

A fel Raider on a wolven mount said to him, "We don't have enough trees to last our lumber supplies, and the gold mines within our region have suffered heavy losses due to the cataclysm."

"Hold our advance, make do what we have. When the scouting forces return with information we will make our move into the new world."

"Yes chieftain."

* * *

*SPLASH!*

A non-elemental dragon hatchling erupted out of the water and brought herself to the shore.

"Grawr…" She shivered as her body attempted to warm itself.

'C-Cold… That water was freezing!' She thought to herself. 'Where am I? This isn't home…'

'What happened to me!?' The dragon thought in alarm, she was Asuna Godiva, player 3, and at the moment she was freaking out, tumbling over her own paws again and again.

After twenty minutes, he lay exhausted on the grass edges against the water.

'That doesn't even make sense, why would grass grow like this into the water… Unless the water level rose suddenly.'

She shifted, 'Now that I look at the lake, it somewhat disturbs me… I got so many questions and yet I'm worried about this lake? Are those buildings submerged? They look so medival, did I transport back in time or is this just a movie set? Not to mention, I'm a dragon now from the map…'

Asuna shook her head, 'First things first, I need to figure things out about what's different.'

* * *

A golden light erupted around Louise's familiar, Erisdar, once again after a brief training session against Guiche's golems he provided for use. The third daughter of the Valliere was doing a small type of experiment in order to investigate what kind of phenomenon was the golden light.

Yet, even as she seen it now, closer up, Louise couldn't make out a single clue to what it's about.

What she has figured out is that the golden light has done something to her familiar, Erisdar seemed… Stronger, faster, and also the time between his usage of that short-distance teleport ability decreased drastically after the golden light came and went.

This would be the third time she's seen it. Unknowingly making the Chosen Dragon level 4.

There also was something else, it took longer between each appearance of golden light. As if the experience he's receiving has dulled, it certainly looked like Guiche's bronze valkyries were now easy prey for Erisdar.

Guiche was also fascinated, but he also stated that this helped him in improving his beautiful creations and spell casting.

Louise had another reason.

She wanted to figure it out, perhaps the golden light that surrounded her familiar and made Erisdar stronger was tied to her element? Erisdar's abilities were strange and foreign, not unknown, but the way it does it is extremely unlike anything before. Sure the only 'spell' Erisdar has managed to do was that possible Square-Class teleport, but there were abilities that Louise knew derived into his physical side.

Like that incredible 20 second long speed boost rivaling Triangle Wind mages. But unlike the wind spells she knew, it sure took a bit for Erisdar to activate it again.

"Thanks, that'll be all today, Gramont." Louise Valliere said.

"Anything for the beautiful rose that is Louise." Guiche bowed before her, making the teenage girl's eye twitch in aggravation more than anything

"Guichie!" A blond haired girl, Montmorency, cried in anger.

"Come on Erisdar, let's go get you something to eat." Louise called to her familiar, who perked up and followed her readly.

After a short period of time, Louise met up with one of the Academy servants.

"You there, what's your name!" Louise said with the pride of a noble towards the meek plebian maid with black hair and eyes.

Erisdar strangely seemed interested in her, but the maid replied immediately after recovering from shock from being called out.

"Siesta, ma'am!" The commoner bowed to her, her bosom bouncing slightly.

"My familiar dragon, Erisdar, is hungry. Fetch him some cuts to eat" The Zero said.

"Right away, Ms. Valliere!" Siesta replied hastily as she ran off, returning a couple minutes later with a meat cut the size of Louise's entire arm length.

Louise nodded, turning to look at her familiar.

Only to find him staring at Siesta.

"What are you staring at?" Louise questioned, looking to her familiar's eyes then trailing them back to the servant.

Rather, the servant's gifted assets.

Rage.

A wand somehow found itself within the master's hand, glowing blue with electrical arcs coursing around it.

"Y-Y-You…"

Erisdar found a shadow overcast him, his eyes shrinking as a worried expression of being caught in the act came over his draconic face.

Guilty as charged.

"Perverted Familiar!" Her hand reeling back before thrusting back forward aimed at the Chosen Dragon player.

"Rawr, Rawr, Rawr!" Erisdar repeated in a pitiful attempt to calm its master down.

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!*

The entire academy shook for a small moment as a large pillar of blackened smoke rose into the air from the epicenter of the explosion. Thankfully the inhabitants were not worried about an invasion.

They're used to this by now.

"Mi-Mi-Miss Valliere, you're familiar!" Siesta said in concern for the dragon hatchling she find kinda cute to look at.

Louise breathed heavily as she calmed herself, before perking up in notice that her familiar was upside down with swirling eye expressions, out cold.

"Ach! Erisdar!" Louise cried out in alarm as she went on her knees and started to shake the non-elemental hatchling awake.

Siesta sighed with a smile on her face, just another average day in the Tristain Academy of Magic.

* * *

Current Status:

Chosen Dragon Player 1: Saito Hiraga - Alive - Hatchling (Agility) Level 4

Chosen Dragon Player 2: Alex Storm - Unknown - Hatchling (Strength) Level 2

Chosen Dragon Player 3: Asuna Godiva - Alive - Hatchling (Unknown) Level 1

Chosen Dragon Player 4: Unknown - Alive - Hatchling (Unknown) Level ?

Chosen Dragon Player 5: Cora Rune - Alive- Hatchling (Intelligence) Level 1

Dragon Slayer Player 6: Celdrahil - Alive - Slayer Level 3

Dragon Catcher Player 7: Rosina - Alive- Catcher Level 2

The Human Kingdom Player 8: Aylmer and Abigail - Alive - Royalty of Human Kingdom

The Fel Empire Player 9: Grom - Alive - King of Fel Empire

Mercenary Player 10: Elizabeth Loyal - Alive - Sorceress Level 1

Observer Map Maker: Map Maker - Alive - The World Editor


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note** : As always, I thank all my readers, favorites, followers, and reviewers for all the support you've given me! I also welcome new viewers to this story and hope you have enjoyed it so far! Please, if you have any questions, I will answer them in the next chapter.

 **davycrockett100** : You sure say that a lot, but I appreciate your kind small words all the same! Even the smallest reviews help in giving inspiration.

 **Vindicem:** Thanks for the Grammar tips, and as for the reason behind why everything seems to go quickly at first. It's because I have many characters to begin the introduction. The first 10 chapters will be like the 'Story Introduction' Phase. Afterward, it shall be more focused and detailed, longer chapters and transitions between each character. After all, I can't begin the story like this concept without first introducing the players.

* * *

Life of a Zero Dragon

Chapter 6: Worldly Changes

Cora Rune, the fifth Chosen Dragon, tore apart the warcraft-made dire wolf that had wandered too close to the cottage. Her scales torn up, claw and teeth wounds from the creature upon her body. She could feel herself slipping up, her injuries getting the better of her, but not this moment.

The dire wolf cried out in a dying howl before falling on its side and heading into its eternal slumber of death. A golden light enveloped around Cora's form, before dimming back to nothingness afterward.

She had reached level 4.

Just one more and, hopefully, she will grow into a Dragonet.

There were five stages of Growth for a Chosen Dragon.

Hatchling, Dragonet, Young Adult, Full Adult, and then Wyrm.

According to the lore of Life of a Dragon, Chosen Dragons were five eggs blessed by the Leader Dragons, they sacrificed the Chosen Dragon's life of centuries to then have the potential to become the strongest Dragons to ever live. They did this in order to combat a future evil they couldn't hope to beat.

In the original Life of a Dragon, the player Chosen Dragons, the first generation, defeated the Demon King. This caused the destruction of a the Human Kingdom and the decline of many Dragon population, a peace treaty was formed between Humans and Dragons for two hundred years.

Life of a Dragon Sequel in the continuation of that, marking the end of the two hundred year treaty, the new generation of Chosen Dragons born into the world.

So while they now had only a century or two of life, they grew at an exponential rate, and upon reaching Full Adult, only fellow Heroes could stop them.

Reaching Wyrm makes them akin to god-like beings.

'But I have no clue if the growth system works the same, upon reaching level 5 I should grow, then it would continue to 12, 23, and finally 35… No, that latter is now 45 because the Map Maker increased the level cap in the newest version.'

"Grah…" Her draconic voice escaped in a small cry of pain, Cora needed to get back to the cottage and let Tiffania, the high elf caretaker, treat her wounds.

Well, the fifth player didn't know if Tiffania was a high elf or some other elf, but the former was a term she was most familiar with.

Cora brought her wings up, beginning to hover above the ground before turning, heading back towards the safety of her temporary shelter.

* * *

Saito Hiraga liked Siesta's presence, it reminded him of something he couldn't put his claw on. But whatever it is, he enjoyed it. It also helped that was quite generously gifted in a certain area, unlike his so-called master's figure.

That didn't mean he didn't like Louise, on the contrary, she took great care of him while he's been stuck in this dragon hatchling body of his.

Though she kept calling him by 'Erisdar', not that he didn't mind it, it was a pretty well-chosen name for a fire-breathing mythical creature.

Mythical being more real nowadays.

'Louise does have that explosive personality for sure…' Saito thought, chuckling silently to himself.

After calming a bit down from the rather humorous thought, the Chosen Dragon hatchling lay on the grass near the other familiar who took care to make themselves nowhere near Player 1.

'So… Bored…' Saito grumbled, 'If this was the map there would be always something to do… Crafting, creeps, roleplaying, item hunting, player fighting…'

Suddenly, he lifted his head and got on all four, 'What am I doing? This is the perfect moment to explore! I can teleport anywhere within distance with the Blink ability!'

In Saito's excitement, his wings beat heavily, causing the hatchling's form to hover over the ground. He felt his inner mana, reaching out for it and using the short-distance teleportation spell.

A blue light covered his vision before releasing once again, taking note that he had transported himself from the familiar grounds to the Vestri Court. His grin spread, Saito could already picture the moment where he would soar through the skies like a jet, feeling the rush of the wind passing along his scales.

Saito Hiraga used his Fast, Very Fast attribute ability, increasing his movement speed drastically and allowing him to zip over the grassy fields of the court. The first Chosen Dragon player felt the cooldown of the Blink hero skill click in his mind, allowing once again for the effect of blue light to engulf him and reappear over the rooftop of the Magic Academy.

It felt like a burning desire within him, Adventure, this was it, exploration paved the way to discovery and epic quests that filled the void of everyday life.

A brief moment let him think it might be because he is a hatchling dragon making him behave like this.

But then again, he is a roleplayer, did he not play games to experience the small fragments of adventure left in the world?

"Rawr!" His tiny hatchling roar didn't sound like much, but it emphasis what his current spirit is feeling.

The Chosen Dragon hatchling hovered over the rooftops, his claws scraping the very tips of stone that he moved over while his wings pushed himself above the ground.

Every second, every precious moment of time was a new viewpoint, the vast world was out there, waiting for him to make a difference. It felt like he was destined to make a change, the vast potential residing within him, whether for good or evil was his choice.

Once again, he made use of the Blink ability, vanishing in a small burst of tinted blue light.

Only to find himself in the midst of a class.

Perhaps he should have given himself a general direction to go too.

'Wait, isn't the Louise? What is she doing in front of that desk with pebbles?'

A single flip of her wand towards the small rocks was all he needed.

*BOOM!*

Saito released a cough from his jaws, 'Why do I always get the back luck…'

Louise's clothes looked torn in many places, leggings shredded by her own explosion revealing parts of her skin in numerous holes within the clothing. She coughed, bringing a hand to her mouth as if it was an elegant manner.

"It was only a minor mistake…" Louise said as if it was a common occurrence.

It was.

"Yeah right, this happens every time!" A peer of hers said from across the room near the desks that looked shaken and somewhat destroyed.

"All your spells end up in an explosion!" Another added.

"This is why you'll always be called a Zero!" They continued.

"Because you can't cast any spells! Louise the Zero!" The class finished together, leaving the room and leaving Louise to clean up the mess as directed by the teacher who had now recovered consciousness from being knocked out by the explosion.

'Louise the Zero?' Saito thought as he tilted his head, his position beside the pink haired girl.

Once everyone had left the room, Louise's shoulders sagged in sorrow as her expressions darkened with sadness.

"Rawr?" Saito said to try to ease the girl up a bit.

"Huh?" Louise questionably said, looking and noticing the hatchling. "Erisdar…?" She trailed off the words before smiling and patting the Chosen Dragon's head, avoiding the two horns at the back.

"Thanks, Erisdar… I might not be able to cast regular spells, but I got you! I'm sure that we'll figure out something to fix my magic, and you'll help with that!" The Valliere said proudly as her confidence once again boomed in defiance against the world.

'Well, at least, my so-called master isn't one to let the world go against her. That's always a plus in my book.'

A minute passed.

'Wait, what's that about me helping her do what?'

* * *

After class time has ended, Louise Valliere had obtained the maid known as Siesta to aid her in a few experiments involving her familiar, Erisdar. The plebeian proved herself useful in simple tasks that a magnificent dragon like Erisdar shouldn't lower itself to do, not that the hatchling could do them anyway considering Erisdar's claws would shred through many objects.

Louise had been thinking of possibly hiring the commoner to care for her dragon, but discarded the thought, Erisdar was her familiar, and as a noble she must take care of her familiar at some time without any servants being around.

"Ms. Valliere" Siesta spoke up with an empty blade folded in her arms.

"Yes?" Louise replied.

"I hope you don't mind, but I'm curious to why you had Guiche attack little Erisdar yesterday, isn't Erisdar a baby dragon?" Siesta asked.

The third daughter of Valliere thought about withholding the information only briefly, before deciding that a commoner knowing wouldn't hurt anything.

"Well, over time that Erisdar defeats an opponent of some sort, there's always this strange golden light that surrounds him, making him oddly more powerful than before," Louise explained, "I'm trying to see if this golden light might be from the runes and have something to do with my element of magic."

The maid blinked for a brief second, "Oh… I see…" She trailed off.

Louise clearly knew the commoner couldn't understand what she had just said, but it was the thought that counts.

"Um… What is the plan for you and Erisdar's act for the Familiar Exhibition?"

"..." Louise was silent, before she exploded in a fury of panic, "Oh no I completely forgot about the Exhibition! What should I do… What should I do…" She repeated to herself as she tried to run a hundred different scenarios all at once in her head.

Siesta smiled nervously, "How about you make Erisdar presentable first, Miss Valliere?"

"Good point, and you'll come with me!" Louise said, grasping the maid's hand and dragging her along, "Come, Erisdar!"

The dragon hatchling almost seemed to sigh before hovering after his master. Louise got on a horse along with Siesta while the Chosen Dragon sat in the latter's lap. It seemed to take it quite willingly too.

They traveled, the horse's hooves beating upon the ground as Louise's whipped it into action, making the loyal creature rush forth towards the nearest town. The distance between the group and the Academy waning as they went off.

Five minutes of endless travel on horseback, the grassland suddenly turned into a vast forest of orange-hued trees.

"What- Where did this forest come from!?" Louise Valliere said in alarm, reigning back the horse from traveling into the vast tall forest.

Erisdar growled.

"Erisdar?" Louise questioned as she looked around at anything that could be aggravating her familiar.

Siesta was just as shocked, "I've never seen trees like these before… Both bark and leaf colored in orange…"

Louise Valliere bit her lip, before bringing forth the courage within herself.

'Rule of Steel, Louise. The town could be just on the other side of this forest.' Louise brought the horse in, taking the time to cautiously begin their trek through it.

"Miss Valliere are you sure-"

"Yes, I'm sure! The town is probably on the other side, and if anything gets in our way I'll just use my magic!" Louise shouted.

"Grawr, Rawr!" Erisdar shouted.

The pink haired Valliere nodded, "Erisdar agrees, we're going in!"

Unfortunately, Erisdar meant to not go in at all.

The three plus a horse ventured into what is called, Orangebark Forest.

* * *

Current Status:

Chosen Dragon Player 1: Saito Hiraga - Alive - Hatchling (Agility) Level 4

Chosen Dragon Player 2: Alex Storm - Unknown - Hatchling (Strength) Level 2

Chosen Dragon Player 3: Asuna Godiva - Alive - Hatchling (Unknown) Level 1

Chosen Dragon Player 4: Unknown - Alive - Hatchling (Unknown) Level ?

Chosen Dragon Player 5: Cora Rune - Alive- Hatchling (Intelligence) Level 4

Dragon Slayer Player 6: Celdrahil - Alive - Slayer Level 3

Dragon Catcher Player 7: Rosina - Alive- Catcher Level 2

The Human Kingdom Player 8: Aylmer and Abigail - Alive - Royalty of Human Kingdom

The Fel Empire Player 9: Grom - Alive - King of Fel Empire

Mercenary Player 10: Elizabeth Loyal - Alive - Sorceress Level 1

Observer Map Maker: Map Maker - Alive - The World Editor


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note** : "Boyzilla-sama, Boyzilla-sama, we want the next chapter!" Well don't you worry by loyal readers, I'm on a roll concerning Life of a Zero Dragon, chapter after chapter I've been pumping out day by day, hopefully, I won't break this new habit. Now, concerning my other stories, don't worry, I also have Saiyan of Equestria and Be Hybrid being typed. Anyway, to the story!

* * *

Life of a Zero Dragon

Chapter 7: Orangebark Consequence

The quiet surrondings with the exception of but a very few birds in the air caused a uneasiness to settle within Saito Hiraga's stomach. This was an incredibly terrible idea, and unfortunally because he couldn't, at least, he thinks at the moment, speak. Saito could not warn Louise and Siesta of the dangers lying within the Orangebark biome, it was for many new players, the first taste of the creeps outside the safety of the starting cave.

Normally, in the map, Life of a Dragon Sequel, the five Chosen Dragons began their adventures as hatchlings within the safety of the player-named starting cave. This enchanted cavern held very weak mobs for the hatchlings to kill, grow, and have time to make up their draconic roleplay characters.

The Starting Cave was safe guarded against all creeps and players outside of it.

But not in this case, now he is a hatchling, with two teenage girls, in an enviroment filled with terrible dangers.

'We're screwed,' Was Saito Hiraga's first thought upon entering the currently-for-himself high level area. 'I didn't expect to see an entire area get ripped from the game and placed in this new world! If we are not careful we might run into its monsters… Ogres.'

In versions 1.1 and below, the Orangebark area included the Ogre Maulers and Magi, level 7 creatures. Fortunally only the Ogre Maulers respawned after killed before players became simply too powerful for the monsters early on.

Saito had bad luck however, in 2.0 that issue was rectified, all the Creep Respawn triggers were fixed up, improved, and altered. Monster vairety increased drastically to include more powerful creatures latter down the line. Good news for the new version of the map, but a terrible predicament for his current situation.

He felt his heart attempting to pump so harshly that it would burst out at the slightest provaction.

Terrifying.

"Rwar!" The Chosen Dragon player tried again to alert the teenagers, but to no avail.

'That have no idea, no idea what they are getting themselves into! Damn it!'

The horse suddenly jerked, causing Louise to pull on the riegns, "Whoa! Calm down!" Louise said as the creature tried backing away from an unseen threat.

"What's going on?" Siesta questioned as she held on tightly to Saito, her legs gripping the sides of the horse.

"Something is spooking him... " Louise said.

"How about we just run for it?" Siesta said, "It'll get us out of here faster." She sugguested.

Louise whipped on the riegns, "Yah!" She yelled, causing the horse to lean back before rushing forward with great speed as if its life depended on it.

"It's clobberin' time!' A stupid, yet comedic sounding voice said from out of the trees. Louise, Siesta, and Saito had no time to dodge the incoming wooden club that came swinging and smashed headlong into their mount's chest region.

"Aaaah!" Louise and Siesta yelled as they are both sent flying off the horse, the creature falling to the ground while the two girls rolled against the grass before calming to a halt.

Saito Hiraga had heard his instincts scream had him, his wings taking flight which avoided the possiblity of him being sent against his will to the ground.

'Hatchling Instinct is such a useful ability!' Saito commented on it, as he lowered himself back towards the ground, moving to Louise and Siesta's location as the two girls got themselves back on their feet.

He turned to see what had attacked them…

An Ogre Mauler, about nine to ten feet tall, one head, tanned skin with crude tribal markings around it. A large wooden club carried in its right hand, the stench alone that came from the Creep, or monster could make grown men faint if taken in long enough. In short, a disgusting, stupid creature.

Louise brought out her wand, "Erisdar!" She shouted the dragon hatchling by her side. She looked towards the monster that had brutally smashed in her previous mount's chest.

The Ogre smashed in the body of the horse with its club, before noticing more beings alive around it. "So angry!"

The pink haired teen pointed her wand at the Ogre, "Be angry at this! Fireball!"

The repugnant creature raised its club only to lose it as it exploded into sawdust, the Ogre falling back on its rear end in total confusion at the loss of its main weapon.

Saito charged forward, now was his chance to attack. He felt his wings beating madly as he activated his agility ability, increasing his speed by a large margin. The Chosen Dragon player zipped over the dirt and grass and made head-on contact with the downed creep.

With paws to bear, Saito clawed deep into the Ogre Mauler's skin, blood pooling to the top as the outer layer was shredded by the sharpened weapons. The Chosen Dragon suddenly felt himself lighter, faster, and more skilled in his methods of attack.

The runes on his left paw glowed.

"Argh! Lizard hurt me!" The Ogre cried out, lashing its fist and smashing it into the body of the hatchling, sending dragon spinning through the air and smacking into the trunk of an Orangebark tree.

"Grawh!" Saito cried out in pain, even with the loss of its weapon the damage he took was notable. Truly the Warcraft creeps used on the map are very formidable, meanwhile, the creep stood up again.

"Erisdar!" He heard Louise cry out, before she yelled at the Ogre, "How dare you harm my familiar! Fireball!"

"Ooh!" The Ogre staggered back from the explosion force that met it, before charging in rage at the pink haired girl.

"Watch out, Miss Valliere!" Siesta cried out in alarm as she noticed the large creature charge at them.

"Fireball! Fireball!" Louise chanted, again and again, black smoke appearing with an explosive power behind each blow at the Ogre.

The Ogre stopped its charge, its injuries very apparent.

'Now!' Saito yelled in his mind as he flew up its backside and bite it in the head.

The taste was disgusting.

"Get him Erisdar!" Louise and Siesta both yelled, the former breathing slightly heavy from the continious use of her willpower.

"Aaargh! Ugh! Get it off!" The Ogre yelled as Saito bite down with all its might, he stabbed his claws to the monster's backside and the Ogre fell forward with a dying cry.

Saito lets go, a golden light enveloping him and suddenly… Darkness.

He couldn't see…

Yet it felt very familiar to him…

He heard that voice again, divine, yet sounding artificial…

" **Chosen Dragon, there comes many times where one's identity is more important than the power one wields. Now, newly grown Dragonet, choose the gender that will mark your future self."**

Just like the first time, choices appeared in plain words before him.

Male? Female?

It was an obvious choice as he pressed a paw against Male, the choices vanishing before him after doing so.

" **Now that you have chosen your future identity, Chosen Dragon, you must find yourself your element, a color that represents yourself. Be wary, Chosen Dragon, for such a decision is permanent upon doing so. Will you seek forth one of the six dragon nests, or perhaps a different hue belongs to you? The choice lies with you, Chosen Dragon."**

A bright light caused him to close his eyes before he found himself within the Orangebark Forest once again, both Louise and Siesta staring at him in wonder.

He noticed they appeared smaller than usual, still taller than him, but then again, he had grown into a Dragonet. Thank goodness that Growth System still worked for him.

"What?" He said out loud with his normal voice, although it sounded a bit draconic in nature.

"Wha- Did you just talk?" Louise sputtered out.

"Huh?" He questioned, before noticing something. "You understand me!?"

Siesta nodded while Louise stood up tall once again.

"What you mean I can understand you," She seemed to take this in well, "You're my familiar, Erisdar! Of course, as your master, I can understand you!" The Valliere girl said.

Saito couldn't help but sweatdrop a little, "I get it Louise, I get it…"

A twitch in her forebrow, "I'm your master, Erisdar! You will treat me as such!"

"It's Sai- Actually, Erisdar is fine." He changed his mind, he didn't want to make the situation worse right now. After all, they were still within the Orangebark Biome. "Well, Master," He said with sarcasm, "We best leave this place, it's dangerous and more of those Ogres could appear at any moment." Saito finished, pointing a claw towards the corpse.

Louise and Siesta paled a little at the mention of the creature's now identified name.

"Good idea, Erisdar," Louise said, patting the dirt off her noble clothing. "Come on, commoner. We've tallied here long enough and I'll rather not meet with any more of those monsters…" She said the last part rather quickly.

"Y-Yes!" Siesta replied hastily while she and Louise grouped up with Saito in the lead.

"Erisdar…" The pink haired girl began to say, unused to her familiar speaking, "Explain to me how you've managed to age in such a short period of time and what is the golden light that surrounds you time to time after combat?"

"Well, aging would be putting it mildly. But let me explain it like this," He decided to withhold the information he used to be human, didn't want to put on more than necessary. "I'm a Chosen Dragon, a very special type of dragon. Chosen Dragons like me grow in a special way, by the process known as Leveling."

"Leveling? So it's a growth process and not some type of magic?" Louise questioned.

"In a way, Leveling is the earned experience gained by defeating enemies that pools together to Level up. With an increase in level also increases my Strength, Agility, and Intelligence. Those are the three attributes."

"Alright, Erisdar, but that still doesn't explain how this growth works," The Valliere girl pointed out.

"I'm getting to that, anyway, when I reach a specific Level, I grow up so to speak. I was a hatchling from level 1 to 4. Now I'm a Dragonet from levels 5 to 11."

"So assuming that you just becaome a Dragonet you're level 5?" She had a hard time believing this, as to be expected, but she oddly tried her best to understand her draconic familiar.

Saito nodded, "Yeah, but leveling takes time. I can't just grind the same creature over and over because the creature always stays the same level as I increase. Each level needs more experience than the previous level to obtain."

Siesta placed a fist in her hand, "That explains why you said Erisdar kept taking longer to have that golden light appear each time."

"Yep," The Chosen Dragon player replied, "The golden light means that I leveled up. Anyway, follow me, I know a safe way through this forest that avoids the Ogres."

* * *

Meanwhile, within the safety of an enchanted cavern…

"Finally, I've grown into a Dragonet. Now I can leave this cave without having to worry about getting killed easily." A male Chosen Dragon, Player 4, said.

Player 4, also known as Artos Archway, had spent the last few days leveling up within the safety of the enchanted cave. It was odd how he was now in the game, none of the other Chosen Dragon players seemed to have been sucked into it either. Not that he minded much, all he cared about was being alone and to his own devices.

He feeds himself on the beetles first, before moving past them and heading straight for the large lizards the size of him. They tasted pretty good but he occasionally at the move back to the safety of the Healing Hay, a powerful pile of hay that would regenerate health and mana of nearby heroes and units at an incredible rate.

The problem is, its a building, so it can be destroyed.

He knew that the first thing he should do is head to the nearest Dragon Nest upon exiting the cavern, there he could rest in safety in the hands, well paws, of the Dragons while he selected his color.

"But first, I'll get that special unit in this cavern so I can get the Tome of Power," Artos said as he rushed to the breakable rocks, destroyed them easily, and found the black sludge monster which attacked him upon sight.

But as a Dragonet, the starting area creeps are easy prey, so he dealt with it easily.

Upon death, the creature withered and died, vanishing into nothing but a black puddle, hovering above it, glowing in magical light with a golden hue, a single tome lay there above the puddle.

Artos felt a thought itch the back of his mind, telling him the item before his sight.

Tome of 2 Levels.

He touched the book, and a bright light surrounded him as it tome vanished. He didn't know that the old book from the alpha version of Life of a Dragon Sequel still existed, the Map Maker must have forgotten to remove it from the item drop list of the starting area creature.

Now he was level 7, perfectly able to leave the cavern in safety.

"Perfect indeed… Perfect indeed…"

* * *

Current Status:

Chosen Dragon Player 1: Saito Hiraga - Alive - Dragonet (Agility) Level 5

Chosen Dragon Player 2: Alex Storm - Unknown - Hatchling (Strength) Level 2

Chosen Dragon Player 3: Asuna Godiva - Alive - Hatchling (Unknown) Level 1

Chosen Dragon Player 4: Artos Archway - Alive - Dragonet (Agility) Level 7

Chosen Dragon Player 5: Cora Rune - Alive- Hatchling (Intelligence) Level 4

Dragon Slayer Player 6: Celdrahil - Alive - Slayer Level 3

Dragon Catcher Player 7: Rosina - Alive- Catcher Level 2

The Human Kingdom Player 8: Aylmer and Abigail - Alive - Royalty of Human Kingdom

The Fel Empire Player 9: Grom - Alive - King of Fel Empire

Mercenary Player 10: Elizabeth Loyal - Alive - Sorceress Level 1

Observer Map Maker: Map Maker - Alive - The World Editor


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:** I've never owned Warcraft, that belongs to Blizzard Entertainment. I've never owned Zero no Tsukaima, which belonged to Noboru Yamaguchi, Rest In Peace. I own Life of a Dragon and Life of a Dragon Sequel custom maps. Also, yesterday was Blizzard Entertainment's 25th Anniversary! Happy Birthday, Blizzard!

 **Shirosaki Kizuro:** I'm glad you are enjoying the story! And to answer your latest review, that's another reason why I post the Status List at the bottom of each chapter.

* * *

Life of a Zero Dragon

Chapter 8: The Wheel Begins to Turn

A step forward, an longsword held in one hand, armor glistening in the sunlight. This lone hero, a slayer of dragons, had traveled through the valley fighting foe against foe of hyena-like humanoids and mutant fish creatures the likes that this new world had never seen before. But in spite of this the realm of Halkeginia was no stranger to monsters, nor was Halkegenia unaware of the dangerous beasts that lurked in the shadows.

Celdrahil had left the valley's edges, but as he was expecting a wide mountainous terrain of snow, it wasn't there.

"What?" Player 6 said in confusion. The Dragon Slayer observed the new area he found himself in; he spotted a village not to far from his location.

"A village indicates people, which means possible quests." He said, referring to the roleplay thinking pattern.

He heaved the shield of his on his backside, lessening the burden as he stepped forward.

"Well… Better get walking…"

* * *

*Chrunch*

*Chrunch*

*Chrunch*

"Hah… Hah… Freezing…"

*Chrunch*

*Chrunch*

*Chrunch*

"Jesus Christ… So… Cold…"

*Chrunch*

*Chrunch*

*Chrunch*

*Kathunk!*

"Can't… Go on…"

…

…

The Dragon Catcher shot up from the bed sheets, gasping for air as her heart pumped madly before calming down. Rosina blinked, finding that she was within shelter despite having fall unconscious in the blistering cold. She raised her hands, patting over her body briefly and finding that frostbite did not occur at all.

"Can a Warcraft hero even get frostbite?" She whispered to herself, whoever rescued her did not take off any of her clothing; furthermore, her bow and quiver lay standing against the wooden wall.

The door into the room creaked open, revealing a twelve to fourteen year old boy, "Oh, you're awake!" He said in surprise, carrying with him a tray containing a bowl with a sort of stew inside.

"Did you help me?" Rosina asked as she sat upright, her feet pressing against the wooden flooring.

"My father found you lying in the snow a few hours ago when he was out hunting, he brought you here and both my mother and I took care of you." The boy said, setting the tray on a small table.

"Ugh…" Rosina said while stretching her arms. "Thank you, I owe you and your parents my life."

"Ah… Well… My parents always believed in doing the right thing…" The boy sported reddened face before turning his attention away from the ground he was staring at back to her face. "If you're feeling up to it, my family was about to eat at the table."

She smiled at the young boy's nervousness, it was cute. "I'll be happy too," Rosina replied back while standing up, unblocking her cloak and tossing it next to her bow then grabbing the tray and bringing it with her towards the dining area.

The so-called dining room was incredibly tiny even to apartment standards of her homeworld, Earth. There was an ongoing fire that kept the temperature at warm as it could without air conditioning backing it up.

Rosina now had a good look at the household's structure, and it was very medieval. She wasn't a big time roleplayer, quite casual to say, and she never did have much in terms of history knowledge either.

Still, she sat at the small table with the people who saved her from the bitter cold outside. They looked at her with curious expressions, taking in great detail the leather armor and decorative pieces threaded into the craftsmanship.

"I thank you for saving and caring for me," Rosina began. "If not for you I surely would have perished in snow and ice."

'What the hell, why did my manner of speaking go all fancy nancy all the sudden!?' Player 7 thought to herself.

"Think nothing of it, the Founder always stated in scripture to aid your fellow man." The father of the household stated.

The mother then asks, "Dear, are you by chance a noble, an aristocrat?"

Rosina raised an eyebrow; noting the particular hopeful looks on their faces.

"I think my memory is a bit hazy from the near death experience, but I do not believe I am a noble?" She said questionably. "But on the off chance, what would you need such a aristocrat for?"

The mother placed a hand on her chest, "As you might soon remember, all Nobles are Mages. It's been like that since the founding of Halkeginia six thousand years ago."

"That doesn't seem like a very effective system," Rosina commented, making the family's eyes widen in surprise at the sudden statement. "Shouldn't there be mundane nobles to balance out the system between both magic and mundane, otherwise it's just creating a bigger gap of power between the two. Over all, halting both technological and magical advancements?"

"I don't think anyone has ever stated anything like that before," The Father said, before laughing, "My, what a interesting person we saved. In any case, I'm Jacob. This is my wife, Elisa, and my son, William."

"Pleasure to meet you, I am… Rosina." She introduced herself, "Disregarding what I said earlier, if you are asking for a mage, then I assume you are seeking the aid of magic?"

They shook their heads, their son picking up the dishes and placing them elsewhere now that they had finished eating their small meals.

Jacob, the father, breathed harshly through his nose, "If we had a noble on our side, it would certainly help in getting the aristocats plaguing this small village to stop."

"Financial troubles? Taxes?" Rosina questioned.

He shook his head, "If only if it was that simple, no these nobles say that they deserve to obtain from what they steal from us. Stating it will help the Reconquista fight against the true Nobility."

"Reconquista? True Nobility? I'm afraid you have lost me Jacob. Simplify it for this ignorant archer for I wish to be graced by wisdom imparted by the common folk."

They blinked, what had she said?

"Are you sure you are not a noble, Ma'dam Rosina?" Elisa questioned.

Oh, she did the strange talk pattern again, did the Warcraft character she has control over have leaks that traveled into her speech pattern? It's not a farfetched guess because the Life of a Dragon Sequel's time period was likened to a fantasy 15th-17th century Earth, so the speech patterns could reflect that.

But perhaps the answer was simpler and she just was making wild guesses.

"Not that I'm aware of," Rosina answered. "I can do a form of magic using my bow and arrows, but nothing like wand-waving mages."

"So you can do magic, but don't believe you're a noble? This is very confusing for us."

Rosina waved her hand dismissively, "Just think of me as an regular archer with a enchanted bow."

The family nodded, seeming to accept that answer a whole lot easier.

"Excellent," The Dragon Catcher began, "With that out of the way, how about telling me the predicament concerning these aristocrats at the gates of your home?"

* * *

A long trek through the Orangebark Forest proved to be more tedious than previously anticipated, Erisdar had informed her, Louise Valliere, that it was strangely more expansive and typical to that of an average forest than usual. This only served to confuse her even more often, adding to the list of questions that began to pile up one on top of the other.

Who was Erisdar?

What is a Chosen Dragon?

When did he even learn all this when he had been with her since his hatching?

How does is he knowledgeable about this forest and its creature?

Why did she suddenly refer to Erisdar as male?

'Well that latter could be explained because his voice is masculine, if childish, in nature.' Louise thought to herself, Erisdar was a gender neutral name, so it fit all the same.

"We're out," Erisdar said.

"Finally…" Siesta said with an exhausted voice.

Louise Valliere gave out a sigh of relief, she too was exhausted from the day's events. She looked forward to see the town that made their original destination. "I can't believe I went through all that for a piece of decoration."

"I tried to warn you, but I couldn't yet speak." Erisdar said.

That was reassuring, Erisdar tried to warn them ahead of time so he understood that his goal is to protect his master, being her of course.

"You've grown quite a bit, Mister Erisdar." Siesta commented, stroking one of the Chosen Dragon's wings.

Louise looked to the dragonet, noting that previously as a hatchling she could carry him around in her arms. Now he had grown to a size up to her waist, but not yet big enough to consider mountable or flight worthy.

"Mmh…" The Valliere girl hummed in thought as she looked at him.

"What is it, Louise?" Erisdar questioned.

"Can you grow before the Exhibition?" She asked.

"Nope, at least, I don't believe so. I'm sort of a non-elemental dragonet at the moment, I need to discover the color of scales that best represents me before I can grow once more. Even then I think it'll take more time than a few days."

Louise deflated at that fact.

"Oh!" Siesta suddenly said in alarm, making both Erisdar and Louise look at her quickly in an alert state, remember the conflict with the Ogre from beforehand. "Wait, nevermind!"

"Don't scare us like that!" Louise yelled at the commoner.

"Sorry, sorry!" The maid apologized to the pink haired teenager.

"Let's get going already," The dragon reminded them.

"Right," Louise replied quickly, walking forward towards the town, a little hastily to finally be rid of the Orangebark Forest behind them.

They walked.

And walked some more.

"You know Louise, we have to go through there again if you wish to get back to the Academy." Erisdar reminded her.

"I'll rather walk all the way around if only to not smell the stench of those repugnant beasts!"

"I agree with Miss Valliere!" Siesta said, "Though more on the side of not wanting to be killed."

The Chosen Dragon chuckled, "I couldn't agree more."

"Oh wait, I remembered now! Erisdar, won't people find it strange you can talk since you're a dragon?" Siesta questioned.

"Uh…" It appeared the thought never came to the familiar.

Louise sighed, "Look, you're still a dragon, that means you do… Dragon growls and roars, just do that unless I tell you otherwise."

"Rawr! Yes, master… Huh, that actually works…" He seemed surprised his draconic growl actually sounded like one… Then again, he's a bloody dragon.

"Of course, it would, it's a suggestion from your master."

"Only a master of evil, Louise." He quoted.

"What was that!?" The Valliere quickly took that offensive, how dare Erisdar say that to her!

"Wait, it was a joke, it was a joke!"

"Fireball!"

* * *

Current Status:

Chosen Dragon Player 1: Saito Hiraga - Alive - Dragonet (Agility) Level 5

Chosen Dragon Player 2: Alex Storm - Unknown - Hatchling (Strength) Level 2

Chosen Dragon Player 3: Asuna Godiva - Alive - Hatchling (Unknown) Level 1

Chosen Dragon Player 4: Artos Archway - Alive - Dragonet (Agility) Level 7

Chosen Dragon Player 5: Cora Rune - Alive- Hatchling (Intelligence) Level 4

Dragon Slayer Player 6: Celdrahil - Alive - Slayer Level 5

Dragon Catcher Player 7: Rosina - Alive - Catcher Level 5

The Human Kingdom Player 8: Aylmer and Abigail - Alive - Royalty of Human Kingdom

The Fel Empire Player 9: Grom - Alive - King of Fel Empire

Mercenary Player 10: Elizabeth Loyal - Alive - Sorceress Level 1

Observer Map Maker: Map Maker - Alive - The World Editor


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note** : As always thank you to everyone for the support you give me for this story I write. I enjoy sharing my imagination with you and the ways how I picture such an event to occur. That being said, I love to take suggestions, sometimes they fit pretty well for a certain character. Oh, almost forgot, the first ten chapters are a sort of introduction. The story is being set up before we get into the meat of things, of course, that doesn't mean there isn't going to be chaos and shenanigans!

Finally, I'll like to say, I've never read the Light Novels. I should probably do that soon. I have read info on them and the differences though, so Saito is going to be different for sure than his Anime Counterpart, but a few comedic moments will still come at him and Louise.

 **PEJP Bengtzone V2:** The idea about having a Player meeting a group of Commoners upon discovery of a 'Fountain of Mana' is really interesting! Thanks for the suggestion, I might just use it!

 **MasterXMaster** : Thanks! I'm glad you are enjoying it! The many possibilities and consequences brought up by the introduction of a Warcraft 3 Custom Map is just a blast to write!

* * *

Life of a Zero Dragon

Chapter 9: Kingdom Thoughts

Young King Aylmer, the royal leader of the Human Kingdom of Kayla, which is the name that describes the human kingdom within the Warcraft custom map Life of a Dragon Sequel. Aylmer stood on the strong walls that made up the Capital's outer boundaries, his eyes looking over the vast naturalistic view that surrounded the area.

"Man… They don't have many sights like these back on Earth anymore," Aylmer commented to himself, glancing back to see the two Legionnaires behind him that guarded their King with great fervor.

Kaylan Legionnaires were the strongest Kingdom units in the game, but they were also very expensive and took a while to train.

He looked back towards the outside world, 'But many things have been altered… One example would be that a footman in the map would take fifteen seconds to make. Now it takes fifteen hour to do so, on the other hand they can be trained six at a time now."

"Not to mention what happened to Abigail yesterday…" He trailed off as his memories of the day before came into play.

 _Aylmer stood in front of the throne, his young sister having a pleasant conversation with the Royal Caretaker, Marthan. He, on the other hand, was sparking a crucial chat with the recently arrived Mercenary Sorceress. Indeed, they both figured out early on that both were true players of the same Warcraft 3 lobby._

" _So what occurred to you after the initial blanket of darkness when the game started?" Aylmer questioned._

" _It's difficult to describe," Elizabeth, the Mercenary Sorceress, said._

" _Try your best, at least, this could help us find a way back, if only a little bit," The Kingdom King stated, he had to find a way back for Abigail._

" _Well… At first, it seemed like I was… Bodiless?" She said questionably, "Then there was this divine-like voice, but also somewhat artificial."_

" _A artificial sounding divine voice? Like, how artificial did it sound like? Robotic?"_

 _She shook her head in denial of the guess, "No, it was just… Divine yet artificial. It's like trying to describe something that can't truly be understood by human minds."_

 _He crossed his arms, "So, back to square one for you… How did you manage to choose your Mercenary choice?"_

" _My bodiless spirit appeared in some sort of gray floored room, with multiple floating bodies before circles of power. I just floated to the Sorceresses and suddenly I appeared in Arcantis." Elizabeth explained as her hands motioned to futilely describe it._

" _As expected, just like in Life of a Dragon…" Aylmer said._

" _Princess? Are you well?" Marthan suddenly spoke in a matter that attracted both the young girl's brother and Elizabeth._

 _Aylmer looked to his little sibling, "Abigail?" He said in concern._

 _Abigail had strange stopped talking, her body a bit rigid and her breath soft. Then, suddenly, she spoke in a beautiful matter, angelic in sound, yet the voice that came off her lips did not fit that of a six-year-old, rather, a mature women._

" _Two centuries fly away like the passing of the winter's fall. Lost in the realm of the old kingdom, an old king who sought greatness against the roaring elements of creation. Once upon a time, there was that kingdom, surrounded by shadows of a war. There was a king, born with the mark of the void, controlled by the high demon that burnt the kingdom into the ashes."_

 _With the passing of the last word from her mouth, Abigail collapsed into a state of unconsciousness, leaving behind a flabbergasted audience, and a brother who rushed to her side._

What exactly had happened, had Abigail been affected by more than he realized in the transition into this new world?

"Aylmer,"

He turned around, and caught sight of Elizabeth Loyal standing just outside the two bodyguards assigned to him.

"Elizabeth, what is it? Is something the matter?" Aylmer questioned.

"I want to head to Desert City, and then try to find out where the Elven Forest disappeared too, and also discover where the location of the Dragon Knight City lies," She said to him. "I was hoping you might be able to give me some currency to purchase some items that will help me out."

"Are you sure, it's probably a lot safer to stay here."

"I'm level 2," She said to him.

The young King's eyes widened, "Leveling still works?" He replied.

The Mercenary nodded, "Yes, and I suspect a lot of systems from the map work as well. I have a theory that this new world is a sort of mix between Life of a Dragon's systems and the reality of fantasy likened to those of say, the Inheritance Cycle novel series."

He nodded in agreement, "I've only read Eragon in that series, but I got a clear indication of what you meant by that. Alright, let's go by your theory for now with most in-game systems like leveling, inventory slots, hero skills, and the such functioning."

She smiled at him, "So, about that gold for buying items from the shop?"

"Oh, yeah… Um…" He scratched his chin deep in thought, how would give gold to players work now? In the Warcraft 3 map, you could simply click the Allies tab at the right and give gold to players that way.

He felt his magic tingle within him, and out of curiosity, he 'reached' for it so to speak. His mind came up with his Kingdom's current resources of Gold and Lumber.

'How the hell… Just… Nevermind, maybe it might work if I focused on giving 1,000 gold?' He thought to himself as he did so, he felt a pouch appear in his hand.

"What the?" The Mercenary yelled in alarm, before calming. "So… Gold giving is different too I guess?"

Aylmer blinked as he weighed the pouch in his hand, "It's light, catch."

The pouch tossed into the air and the Sorceresses grasped it easily, tieing the pouch inside her clothes and feeling like the number 1,000 was added to her gold count.

It was an odd sensation, but something she'll have to get used too.

Suddenly a footman, which is a basic plate wearing swordsman, came rushing towards Aylmer and then kneeling before him.

"My King, word from Arcantis!"

"Speak, soldier." Aylmer put on his royal emotional mask.

"A foreign Kingdom has made contact with us, sire! They introduce themselves as residents of the nearby Halkeginia nation, Gallia!"

* * *

Louise, Siesta, and Saito Hiraga found themselves within their original destination. The townsfolk were attempting to go about their daily lives, but it was clearly apparent they were affected by the sudden appearance of Orangebark Forest just a few hundred meters away from the town itself. To the shock of Louise, some of Tristan's military appeared to have made its way here and was trying to rid the Orangebark Forest, or at least, decrease its reach towards the town.

The issue is that any axes, nay, anything that attempted to chop at one of those trees either broke apart or bounced off harmlessly against the invulnerable trunks of those trees. There was even an attempt at using magic to rectify the situation, but it proved fruitless against it.

"They are only dot or line perhaps…" Louise trailed off, "But that doesn't explain why none of the Orangebark trees are being affected.

Erisdar came close to Louise's side, whispered an explanation, "It's because unlike other trees, Orangebark classifies as doodads. They're normally indestructible and can't be cut down."

Doodad, another strange term used by her familiar.

"No tree can be indestructible, they're probably using the local tools and they aren't getting the job done." Louise stated as if the tools of commoners were lackluster and useless.

"Even magic won't work, not unless you're the map maker…"

"Map Maker? That a type of mage?" Louise questioned, briefly looking around to make sure nobody else was paying too close attention. They were in a relatively safe area outside the crowd, the Orangebark Forest's appearance distracting many of the residents.

"I guess a kind of god in your terms-"

"There is only one god and the Founder Brimir!" Louise immediately yelled to halt the dragon's heresy.

Erisdar shut up quickly, "Rawr!" He said.

The pink haired Valliere stood back up, noticing her shout drew a few stares before they shrugged and went back to their own business.

"Ms. Valliere, look what I got!" Siesta came up with a peculiar item.

"What's that…" Louise said.

The maid brought it up to sight, "A ribbon for Erisdar to wear at the exhibition!"

Erisdar looked displeased at the maid, not interested in wearing the item despite the good intentioned.

"Erisdar is a dragon, not a dog," Louise stated firmly, "He needs something more grand, more spectacular… I'll go see what's in store, maybe armor of some sort… Do any stores even sell dragon armor?"

Louise began to walk forward, Siesta sighing in the defeat of not being able to see Erisdar with a ribbon. But Louise Valliere took notice her familiar was not following her.

"Erisdar?" She questioned, looking to him, "What are you staring at…"

The Princesses' Carriage had appeared coming over the horizon on the road.

* * *

Current Status:

Chosen Dragon Player 1: Saito Hiraga - Alive - Dragonet (Agility) Level 5

Chosen Dragon Player 2: Alex Storm - Unknown - Hatchling (Strength) Level 2

Chosen Dragon Player 3: Asuna Godiva - Alive - Hatchling (Unknown) Level 1

Chosen Dragon Player 4: Artos Archway - Alive - Dragonet (Agility) Level 7

Chosen Dragon Player 5: Cora Rune - Alive- Hatchling (Intelligence) Level 4

Dragon Slayer Player 6: Celdrahil - Alive - Slayer Level 5

Dragon Catcher Player 7: Rosina - Alive - Catcher Level 5

The Human Kingdom Player 8: Aylmer and Abigail - Alive - Royalty of Human Kingdom

The Fel Empire Player 9: Grom - Alive - King of Fel Empire

Mercenary Player 10: Elizabeth Loyal - Alive - Sorceress Level 2

Observer Map Maker: Map Maker - Alive - The World Editor


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note** : This chapter was originally going to be a very, very big one. But it took too long, so I've split this chapter into two parts. Still, it is over 5-6 thousand words long, which I'm sure you'll all appreciate.

Some of you might be ask why I'm using the numerical numbers instead of their word counterparts. The answer is because in Warcraft III they use the numbers like 1, 2, 3. Instead of One, Two, Three. It's for the sake of Game Terminology. Of course, Character Dialogue will have the numbers as words while narrative description (In Player Perspective) will be numbered.

Today marks the day that my Life of a Dragon Sequel map is 50% complete. And as thanks for reading your story, the code of the Void Mage Mercenary choice is "Chosen Dragon Saito".

 **PEJP Bengtzone V2** : Very peculiar… Very peculiar…

* * *

Life of a Zero Dragon

Chapter 10: Of Kingdoms, Empires, Heroes, and Dragons Part 1

There were many questions that plagued the young king Aylmer's mind, one those many concerned the meeting of a foreign nation. How was he, a human from Earth, suppose to converse with royalty native to this land. But another thought countered this, for one these were residents of the nearby nation of Gallia, not royalty.

But that also brought more questions than answers, for example, both Elizabeth and himself had assumed the world to be an alternate version of the realm, Kayla. Which is the name of the world that Life of a Dragon Sequel titled itself. This would mean that the Human Kingdom was the only human civilization outside of the city-state of Orangeleaf.

He had sent Elizabeth ahead of him, and kept Abigail back at the fortified castle within the Capital. The Mercenary player is still a Warcraft 3 Hero-classified unit, which means she'll be more powerful than most normal units by their lonesome.

That and if a fight did break out for some reason, the magic users of Arcantis will back her up.

Aylmer shifted on the saddle that was attached to the horse he rode, the two Kaylan Legionnaire following at each side while a force of a dozen Footmen and Archers followed behind him. In Warcraft 3 this would be a decent sized force, but in this new realm it was probably just a scouting size.

His first order was the construction of fortifications when he realized that he was still in command of the entire Human Kingdom of Kayla. The numerous constructions of military buildings, as well as more farms to increase the food produced so to feed them, was this order.

In more game term details, he constructed an additional Barracks, Legionnaire Chapterhouse, Arcane Sanctum, six farms, filled empty defensive locations with towers, and expanded on military technologies such as the first level of Swords, Plate, Leather, and Arrows.

But normal Upgrading takes a lot more time than its suppose too, despite beginning research yesterday there was still no word of its completion. So all current weapons are mainly just iron until Steel has been completed.

He didn't want to imagine how increasing the Kingdom's Technological Level to the next stage will take how long, nor how much waiting it will take to complete Gunpowder.

Not to mention the armor he wore strangely didn't make him shift uncomfortably, Aylmer thought it might be because the Hero's body was used to wearing armor.

"Sire, we are approaching the mage town of Arcantis." The Legionnaire to his stated firmly.

"I see…" Aylmer trailed off as they made their way into the entrance of the town. The town itself normally would have been a small square on the mini-map, a tiny town surrounded by walls, four Arcane Towers, with a single Arcane Sanctum in the middle.

Now it was a bustling town, enlarged, more realistic to the view, holding houses, shops, and the like. However it was still called Arcantis for a reason, there were many magical-related objects and constructs.

If Aylmer had to put it into words, it was a smaller version of Warcraft campaign's Dalaran.

As he rode into the city with his guarding force behind him, the citizens bowed before him as he passed. The normal villagers were now unique persons, each looking differently than the other instead of the same person just copy and pasted multiple times. There were also a lot of Priests, Sorceress, and the custom unit, Emissaries.

He kept his expression the same, it was difficult, but he felt like he's done it many times before becoming Aylmer. Another perk or curse of the transition into this world.

A Archmage of sorts came in front of him, he bowed graciously before standing upright and saying to the Human Kingdom's King.

"My King, we welcome you to Arcantis. I've received word of your arrival ahead of time from the Mercenary Hero Elizabeth, the situation has been thus far peaceful. The foriegnors dubbed Gallians have not caused any trouble within your realm." The Archmage said, his long white beard billowing slighty in the wind.

"I wish to speak with these Gallians, I hold many questions and not all are suitable for the citizens' curiosity around us." Aylmer said.

"At once my liege," He replied. "If you may follow me I shall guide you towards the Gallians."

Aylmer nodded in thanks towards the Archmage, he dismounted his horse, letting a stableboy grasp its reins and direct it elsewhere. He made his way through the town, keeping his expression solemn yet kind as the citizens conversed about the greatness of their king.

'It's all very surreal, the loyalty of the Human Kingdom-controlled units extends even to its provinces. Though it does ease my mind to know that rebellion won't come easily.' He thought to himself.

Aylmer caught Elizabeth's position as he entered the Sanctum containing the foreign travelers. There was a sharp contrast of color between the clothing of the Gallian's and those of the Kaylan's, or the Human Kingdom.

For example, the elected representative color for the Human Kingdom is Pink. This color is the trademark default tint of Player 8. So it won't make sense that all Kingdom unit tabards, flags, and the such were that color.

In counter, the Gallians were a bluish color, a shade only a little darker than the sky above.

There were four individuals wearing this Gallians blue and each were easily identified as military or some other trained force. While the others were more akin to common clothing or that of perhaps traveling merchants.

"They have been well cared for, but something seems a little off about them…" A Captain said to Aylmer.

"How so?" He questioned.

Elizabeth answered as she walked up to another player like her. "It's like they are a confused state of being neutral passive or an enemy unit." She shook her head, "Or at least the unarmed ones are, the soldiers clearly have a grudge of some sort."

Neutral Passive, a term used by gamers to identify units that are classified as friendly but not an ally.

"I see…" He walked up to the foreign group and exclaimed loud and clear, "Pleasure to meet you, residents of the nearby Kingdom, Gallia! I'm afraid my own Kingdom and I are currently in a predicament and we are a bit overeager, please do accept my apologizes as King Aylmer of the Human Kingdom of Kayla for the short term house arrest."

The Gallians were paying attention to him quite eagerly, odd.

"I have a few questions that I hope your leader, whoever they may be, can answer. Afterward you will be released to do as you will, within the boundaries of our laws of course."

An old man stood up, speaking, "I'm the leader of our group, and willing to answer questions, King Aylmer."

Aylmer smiled, "It's a pleasure to meet you, what is your name?"

The old man smiled in return, relieved of some tension, "Gergio, sire."

"Please follow me to where we can discuss." The King motioned, the Gallian man following into a nearby room where they both sat at a table though surrounded by some Footmen.

"Pardon my manners, I don't have any refreshments to pass the time in the hurry. In any case, the questions I'm going to ask may seem odd and confusing, but please answer to the best of your ability."

"Yes, sire." The old man replied.

"Now, my Kingdom and fellow comrades have been subject too… The World changing magic that's transported my entire nation and surrounding lands. We're in the midst of a land we have no knowledge of." He took a brief before continuing, "I only ask this question. What is the history and name of the land we are now residing in?"

The old man looked a bit shocked but after a moment, he recollected himself, "Well... King Aylmer… We call this land, Halkeginia."

* * *

Grom, Warchief of the Fel Empire, known as the Fel King to those of the players, the secret human-turned-orc sliced his blade through the muscle and bone of a nasty fel reaver, a demonic creature that feeds off the magical energies of their prey before devouring the flesh by striking with two horn-like appendages that act like additional claws from behind.

"Grunts!" Grom yelled.

A nearby Fel Orc Grunt replied instantly, raising his battle ax, "We are yours to command Warchief!"

"Scour the area, I want this reavers dealt with and destroyed before they become a nuisance to our operation!" He ordered.

"Lok'tar!" The Grunt said in reply as he lead the band exploring the rest of the land within the vicinity of the Portal between this new world and their homeland.

"Peons!" Grom then directed his attention to the workers, "I want the portal heavily fortified with multiple watchtowers and barricades, make it happen. Any foe that dares try to invade us will find us hard prey."

"Okidoki!" The Peons said as they rushed around the place, bringing materials in and out of the portal from Outland and constructing the bases of the watchtowers.

The Fel Warchief released a held in breath, 'This is hard, being a Warchief might be pretty kick ass but it's mentally exhausting.' He thought to himself.

"Kogkar, any news from the scouting force we sent out roughly two days ago?" Grom said to the Fel Orc Raider, one of the better warriors and loyal following to the Fel Empire.

"Nothing of yet, it's quite odd that we haven't received any word from them."

Grom nodded, his thoughts thinking about the situation. As mentioned before, there was a small surrounding biome of mountainous terrain that was altered by the appearance of the Outland portal. It was the same terrain likened to the Warcraft map's own, with a single choke point between the entrance into that mountain areas.

But outside that entrance was the new terrain that had entirely shifted, it was a long beach against the ocean, but head just a mile into the land away from the beach and it changed entirely into greenery of unknown make not similar to Warcraft 3's environments.

He was not in Outland at the moment, having ventured forth with some warriors to clear the local monsters so to establish a forward encampment.

"Warchief! I see the scout force!" A peon yelled from the cliff top above, it wasn't that big, more like a highly elevated hill.

Grom turned his attention towards the outer exit, scouring his sight in an attempt to see the incoming fel orcs.

He spotted them, but they were missing one or two members, the look of battle upon them of having recently been in combat. They approached, breathing heavily from the long trek, Grom gave them a moment to rest and recover their breath before asking.

"Report," He spoke.

The Captain replied, "Yes… We've drawn a crude map of the surrounding region, but during our scouting, we discovered a tribe of discolored orcs matching the hue of the exiles. Except they are different from even them."

'Exiles… Ah, one of the Mercenary Choices is a Green Orc, I'm guessing that's what they refer as exiles. I need to know more about the Fel Empire.' The Player 9 thought to himself.

"Describe the differences," He demanded.

"Fat, untrained, primitive, rudimentary intellect. They carry the small skulls as accessories from some unknown creature. Their weapons are stone and wood, unlike our well-crafted steel and arcanite."

"Hmm, communications did not go far did they?"

"No, Warchief, they spoke only in a language that does not match any orcish dialect and attempted to slay us upon contact. We lost two warriors but managed to destroy the small tribe completely."

"May their ancestors watch over them," Grom offered his condolences.

"And the spirits guide them," the Captain nodded in agreement.

The Fel Warchief took a breath of the fresh air that breezed in this new world, "Are there any other of these false Orc camps?"

"Yes, we pinpointed a few locations marked on the map we drew." The Captain stated, giving the map to the King.

He opened the map, arching an eyebrow at the unfamiliar terrain that did not match the Warcraft map's own. A few red crossed indicated nearby tribes that could pose a problem if not dealt with. These weren't tribes like Native Americans, these were monsters akin to gnolls and quilboar.

He looked to Kogkar, "Prepare our military forces, if we are to live in this new land we need to rid ourselves of possible threats."

"Right away!"

* * *

I can't believe I'm doing this…" A lone figure, cloaked in a green-hued hood carrying a quiver attached with a leather strap across her breast and a long bow gripped in her left hand, walked through the white covered ground.

The Dragon Catcher's feet stepped through the foot tall snow, as the ice crystals slowly fell from the sky to the ground below. Rosina's, Player 7, breath became frosted in the cold temperatures as he made her way to the village's entrance.

"Well, it's only just snow hitting temperatures most likely, and there is no wind thank God…" She said to herself as she stopped herself short of leaving the village of the family that saved her life from being a popsicle.

Rosina drew an arrow, placing its nock against the bow string.

'Now to await their arrival,' She thought to herself.

After much discussions and gathering of information from her savers and villagers themselves, she had agreed to help them. A band of nobles came again and again, harassing them, anymore and the village is likely to not survive any much longer. The initial plan thought out would be to convince the so-called nobles to abandon their harassment of the village.

But not all plans survive the first contact, if diplomacy fails, she must be able to fight them into submission. Rosina could only hope she didn't accidentally kill anyone, who knows the differences between a Warcraft 3 Hero and a Mage of Albion?

To pass the time, the Dragon Catcher player examined her current inventory.

Rosina had Glacion's Bow, a level one specialty item for being a Dragon Catcher. She also had three flasks filled with green liquid attached to her waist, these were Healing Potions.

Healing Potions are default Warcraft 3 items, they would heal 250 Health Points in the instant of usage. In Life of a Dragon Sequel, they have 3 Charges, which most likely had converted into three separate potions upon entering this world.

She also knew there was a metaphysical cooldown before another can be used again.

Five minutes…

Ten…

Around the twenty minute mark, it appeared as if they would not come today.

Rosina began to doubt and made her turn back towards the houses, only to discover the villagers heading into their households, almost rushing.

"You dare stand in our path, commoner?" A voice came from behind her.

She did not turn, fingers twitching as her heart began to pump, something was wrong, why did she feel the need to attack them?

'Calm… Calm…' She thought, letting herself loose a bit.

"Commoner, did you not hear us?" A female voice this time said, "Turn around so that we may see your petty face!"

She turned, blue eyes staring into a group of half a dozen nobles.

Rosina took a deep breath through her nose, before saying, "Am I safe to assume it is you that come to this village only to harass its residents and steal their property?"

"Steal, you dare accuse us of theft? We do nothing of the sort except collect tribute," A noble man replied with a hearty laugh.

"You are taking their livelihood, any more and the village will meet its demise."

A noble raised a wand carelessly in his hand, making her bow hand shift under the cloak. She had used her cloak to hide the weapon from the sight of the aristocrats.

"Why should we care? They are commoners, we are nobles, with magic granted by the Founder Brimir. It's in our right." The same man replied, apparently the leader of the group.

"Have you no empathy for your fellow man?" The Dragon Catcher said, barely keeping her emotions in check. "Are you nothing by thieving bandits?"

"How dare you accuse us of such insolence, commoner! You should know your place!" One of the women harshly said as she raised her hand and began muttering a spell out loud.

Rosina's cloak was brushed out of the was as her bow was brought into view, the arrow she had in hand nocked into its string as her eyes took aim, wind speed, velocity, and direction all calculated in her mind at lightning speed.

Mana poured outward, the arrowhead burst into a dark blue glow as magical particles surrounded it likened to the same-colored glowing snow crystals.

The Dragon Catcher pulled the string and let it loose.

This all occurred in the spawn of two seconds.

The arrow flew across the snow with great speed, unhindered by climate or weather, he met its target's wand hand, stabbing through the palm and letting blood flow, its magical effect taking over and causing a chilling effect to traveling along the entire mage's body.

"In-In-po-possible!" She chattered out as her entire body was slow and cold.

"What, she's a mage!?" One of the nobles cried out.

"No, I'm not a mage, but I'm not also not a commoner… I'm a Hero, and you've trespassed on the good folk of this village for too long," Rosina said simply them.

"Get her!" A the nobleman said as they all began channeling their inner willpower.

Another arrow already nocked in her bow, she fired two of them at the mages, the effect taking control as they stuttered and stopped their spells in a futile effort to warm themselves out of self-preservation.

"Wind Gale!"

A blast of wind shot forth from a wand, Rosina ran to the left, her speed unaffected by the snow despite its foot deep height, after all, snow was in Warcraft as well, and even then units were unaffected by its being there.

The Wind Gale spell smashed against the side of a house, tearing apart its wooden construct but thankfully it remained standing.

Rosina drew yet another arrow, halting herself into a standing position as she pulled back on the string and let it go soaring. The Frost Arrow landed its mark, disabling another noble.

'Three left,' She thought to herself.

She looked at two other mages, and quickly placed her bow protectively in front of herself as two fireballs impacted against her body. The magical spells dispersed into flames that quickly died out as she was rolled against the snow, multiple patterns decorated into the white snow.

The Dragon Knight pushed herself back up quickly, the magic had hurt, but she felt fine enough to stand still.

"That's it?" The Catcher said as she stood back up, barely worse to wear.

'That hurt, I best to avoid spellcraft. I probably survived well enough as I did because I'm a Warcraft III hero; being level five helps too.'

She continued her attack before the mages could recover from the shock their spell had, in their opinion, little effect.

Six seconds later, all six nobles were down for the count, not dead, but out cold… Literally.

Rosina tied them up together with the help of the local villagers, their wands striped from their persons to prevent magic and kept in a safe location away from them.

"I can't thank you enough, Rosina," Jacob said, being what appeared to be the village leader.

"It's no problem, Jacob. I only hope you let me stay here a little while longer, I'll help out in any way I can until I'm ready to head off," Rosina replied.

"Of course, now, let's take these nobles to the makeshift prison at the stables."

* * *

For all intents and purposes, being a Mercenary had its quirks. One such quirk happened to be a great sense of freedom tied to your profession. Sure Elizabeth would most certainly prefer working with the Human Kingdom, especially since she knew one of the Players happens to control it, but she has the choice not too.

It had taken a little convincing, especially after the discovery of so much information concerning this new land of Halkeginia from its native residents.

The first thing she did was explore the newly expanded town of Arcantis, possible for any sort of possible stores and shops. However, only one store had items of use to a Warcraft Hero and that was the Arcantis Scrolls Shop.

They were expensive, single-use, but possibly very powerful if used in conjunction with certain conditions such as having a army. However they were not what she was looking for, and so Elizabeth made her way to the River Port, and took the first ship towards the biggest Human Kingdom settlement known as Desert City.

It had taken a few hours on boat to arrive, unlike the instantaneous travel in Warcraft 3. It shown once again the changes between the map's gameplay and the transition into this world of reality.

Elizabeth Loyal, also known as Player 10, arrived in the ship port of Desert City around the time the sun was lowering over the horizon.

Desert City had certainly expanded, it was the 2nd largest city in the game, and it certainly represented that fact now. While it didn't have the sheer size of modern day cities of Earth, it certainly was an impressive sight for the technological limitations for the time period it's set in.

It was saturated in between a large Desert and what was suppose to be the Elven Forest, however the latter now was replaced by fertile grassland that already had farmers trying to take advantage. With also having a largest and only river in the game next to it, it was a very suitable location for a city to be in.

With the transition, it was hard to figure out what exactly version 2.0 of Life of a Dragon Sequel had changed in the city since it itself had expanded massively with the conversion into reality. The Mercenary Player had walked through the city, attempting to gain familiarity with it before giving up entirely and asking for directions to the 'Human Shop'.

It only got her a confused stare.

Apparently the shop names had been altered in the newest version, but after a little digging she found it had had simply been renamed as the 'General Store'. She also had suspicions that the newly named 'Desert City's Store of Reclaimed Items' was the old 'Super Human Shop' rebranded.

The Human Shop was the locations of Tomes, Potions, and Weapon Upgrades.

The Super Human Shop however held very expensive powerful items, almost game breaking in the old versions if not for some much needed depowering which it had undergone now.

*Ding Ding*

"Welcome to the General Store, a place that offers consumables of all varieties. Have a weapon that needs upgrading? Then by all means, talk to our blacksmith enchanter." The shopkeeper stated as Elizabeth entered the previous named human shop.

"I'm searching to enhance my equipment to a higher quality. Where can I find your blacksmith?" The Sorceresses Hero questioned.

"You can find him just through that door there, it leads to the forge."

"I thank you," She said in reply, stepping through the store before entering the forge. The scent of burning charcoal filled her senses, a warmth from the enclosed flame filling the room while a man hammered on an anvil in the creation of a sword.

The Blacksmith looked up, his face cleanly shaved, before paying attention back to his work. "I do not do magic trinkets, ma'dam. You can find such artifacts elsewhere in the city. I merely dabble in upgrading weaponry and equipment to a higher level."

Elizabeth closed the door behind her, "I did not come for reagents or the such, I've got equipment that needs your skill and the currency ready to pay for it."

"You do not look like a Hero that uses a weapon," He stated, she knew the NPC was referring to as a Warcraft Hero type.

"I have Mercenary Equipment," She answered.

He lay his hammer at a table, and let the sword enter a tub of water, steam rising, "Ah, I do have experience in that, if it's classified as level one, that will be five hundred gold pieces. As for a level two, that would be a thousand." The smith said, raising a hand and showing his fingers in a expression.

"It is only of the first level," She replied, dropping the Mercenary Equipment Level 1 item before him.

Mercenary Equipment was a speciality item, like the Slayer's Sword to the Dragon Slayer and Glacion's Bow to the Dragon Catcher. All of those items can be upgraded to a maximum of level 3.

Mercenary Equipment increases all stats by certain parameters as well as armor rating, having a higher level would upgrade the item's passive abilities.

She imagined the coins appearing as a pouch, and felt the metaphysical number of the gold she had in total drop by 500. A small pouch appeared in her hand with the weight tied to it.

The blacksmith grasped it, he opened it up and it was like he could instantly tell the number within. "Alright then, I'll get to work."

She nodded, 'Afterward I was begin what I set out to do, trying to find what happened to the Elven Forest and the location of the Dragon Knight City.'

* * *

Blood sprayed across the dirt, metal against metal clashing in loud echoes, the war cries yelling throughout the air, the sound of the strange beasts roaring, this is the location and event the Dragon Slayer found himself in.

Celdrahil's blade struck diagonally, meeting against the stone body of his opponent. His tight grasp on his shield blocked the incoming rock from tearing apart his body, not that it would considering he's decked in armor stronger than steel and a body stronger than any average human due its very nature of a Warcraft 3 Hero.

He ignored the cries around him, the peasants trying their best to have a sort of order to combat the stone golems.

But Player 6, Celdrahil, knew that tactics such as the one deployed will only work so far against Creeps from Life of a Dragon Sequel. After all, the monsters were straight forward impervious to the feeling of pain, magic had a reduced effect against them, and they had an annoying spell of their own.

A rock covered in lightning smashed into the Player, stunning him for a precious two seconds in which the stone golem smashed it's fist against him and sent him tumbling.

He recovered quickly, reaching for his mana, he cast the Hero Ability called Shadow Strike.

A black projectile covered in a small line of green haze launched out his outstretched hand, impacting on the golem and causing a shadow to be overcast it's form and parts of its body to break down.

Shadow Strike was a Hero Ability that struck a target for initial damage and then caused more damage over a duration of time.

He got up, the Dragon Slayer rushing forward with sword and shield to bear. His firm grip holding on the blade's hilt as he brought it in a horizontal strike against the creature's body.

It crumbled and fell into normal boulders.

"Hah… Hah… Hah…" Celdrahil took in deep breaths, his attention turning to the other two golems the villagers were desperately trying to hold off.

A golden glow surrounded him.

Level 7.

He grinned.

"Damage Aura," he said to himself. a orange light with two orbs appeared over his head before encircling him as they lowered to the origin of his feet.

Around him, the villagers cried out in surprise as their weapons were now tinted with a glowing thin line of that same color of orange.

Damage Aura, it speaks for itself, it's a passive aura that boost his and nearby allies' damage output. But in this world, it seems to enhance the weaponry instead, allowing the tools, blades, axes, and such to cause more injury upon their target foe.

"Your weapons are enhanced by magic, now strike true at your foes! These golems will be brought down!" Celdrahil yelled.

The villagers yelled their battle cries as they and the Dragon Slayer charged at the invading stone golems, weapons to bear as they struck down upon the creeps with all their might.

He secretly grinned, all according to plan.

* * *

" **Wake up… Your time has not yet ended, Chosen Dragon."**

"Grah…" The sound of a hatchling in pain echoed in his own ears as Alex Storm struggled to wake himself up, surely the pain must've been- Huh, there's no pain.

"The sun shines bright this day, hatchling, stand once more and embrace the warmth it gives freely."

The Chosen Dragon, Player 2, opened his eyes to see that he lay on top of a strange pile of hay that continuously rejuvenated him, healing his wounds and restoring his mana within him.

"The Healing Hay…" He said in draconic.

"Correct, hatchling, a construct that can only be built by Purple Dragons tasked to each Dragon Nest."

Alex turned his head to see a huge, one-story, bronze dragon.

"Do not be alarmed, hatchling, we are your kindred. Your injuries and wounds have been healed from the battle against those foreign elven-like creatures. Such arrogant beings make our true Elven allies look bad, but such in the way of mortals."

"Who are you?" Alex questioned the Bronze Dragon before him.

"I'm Tyronodis, a Young Adult Bronze Dragon just reaching the point where I shall be confirmed as a Full Adult. The Purple Dragon stationed here is on currently helping some of my flight with some issues."

The Player 2 vaguely recalled that a Young Adult qualifies as a teenager, as a Full Adult is a fully grown dragon.

"But aren't you?"

"A normal bronze dragon? Yes, that does not mean, however, that we can't go through the Growth process like you, Chosen Dragon."

The hatching presses two paws against his head in an attempt to sooth the ongoing migraine.

"Please just call me Alex, now you mentioned elves right? You referring to those overpowered elves back in the desert?"

The Bronze Dragon hummed in acknowledgment, "A mortal name… Very well. I'm indeed speaking of those false elves, the creatures that use the spirits of the world against other living beings. Such disrespect is a mockery of the natural world."

Tyronodis growled in anger, teeth baring as small arcs of electricity escape his jaws. "And they dare to strike against a Chosen Dragon, also a hatchling at that! Such cruel creatures make me one to bring the lightning and winds of above upon them!"

'Oh yeah, Bronze Dragons of Sequel are Lightning and Air elemental,' Alex Rune reminded himself.

The Young Adult NPC calmed himself, "Regardless, the Grandfather wanted to speak with you once you awakened. Just head a bit higher up and you'll see him soon."

Alex recalled that he was on a Desert Mountaintop, the Bronze Dragons sure love their heights. It also provided a formidable defensive location against invaders. He glanced upward, finding only a slight more elevation that could easily be climbed.

"Thanks," Alex replied as he got up on all four and began to walk, it had to learn fast while being chased by those Elves, his instincts took over and practically drilled him all his movements at a moment's time. Thank goodness too otherwise he would've been chopped reptile.

His wings brought him hovering over the air only by a foot or two, the dry dirt beneath swept into the wind and causing minor dust clouds for a brief moment. Once Alex managed to get up, he made his way towards the location of the Grandfather Bronze Dragon.

Each Dragon Nest, with the exception of Blue and Black Dragons, had a Leader. Bronze was the Grandfather, Red was the Father, Green had the Mother, and Nether had Black's Uncle.

Purple Dragons didn't have a Nest nor Leader, they were protectors of the Healing Hays of each Nest.

Alex finished climbing only to have his jaw comically drop.

Grandfather was mind boggling huge!

Heck, he's as large as an entire Mansion back on Earth!

The Grandfather Bronze Dragon looked down on to his meager small figure.

"I'm afraid we will have to converse later, little one, the elven creatures that attacked you once will likely to attack once now that they know of our presence. We must prepare ourselves."

* * *

Current Status:

Chosen Dragon Player 1: Saito Hiraga - Alive - Dragonet (Agility) Level 5

Chosen Dragon Player 2: Alex Storm - Alive - Hatchling (Strength) Level 2

Chosen Dragon Player 3: Asuna Godiva - Alive - Hatchling (Unknown) Level 1

Chosen Dragon Player 4: Artos Archway - Alive - Dragonet (Agility) Level 7

Chosen Dragon Player 5: Cora Rune - Alive- Hatchling (Intelligence) Level 4

Dragon Slayer Player 6: Celdrahil - Alive - Slayer Level 7

Dragon Catcher Player 7: Rosina - Alive - Catcher Level 8

The Human Kingdom Player 8: Aylmer and Abigail - Alive - Royalty of Human Kingdom

The Fel Empire Player 9: Grom - Alive - King of Fel Empire

Mercenary Player 10: Elizabeth Loyal - Alive - Sorceress Level 2

Observer Map Maker: Map Maker - Alive - The World Editor


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note** : Woe, a huge reception of Reviews last time! Anyhow, Life of a Dragon Sequel 2.0 is complete! I was on Warcraft 3 and the RP community exploded as they got the news, it was a blast! It can be found on Epicwar if you wish to download it.

 **A.M.C.** No, Alex didn't die he was rescued so it doesn't count as his one-time revival.

I'm sorry I can't answer Guests well. Make yourself a Username or some sort, please! As for newcomers, thank you for your kind words and I hope you will continue to enjoy Life of a Zero Dragon!

… I don't think I can do a good Henrietta, despite her being one of my favorite characters. Apologies if I make anyone cringe, but, at least, I'm not avoiding her existence. I won't ignore Kirche or Tabitha's existence either, I got plans… A big one.

* * *

Life of a Zero Dragon

Chapter 11: Of Kingdoms, Empires, Heroes and Dragons Part 2

A golden lights enveloped the form of a young dragonet, Cora Rune. Who had achieved the seventh level and maxed out her Hatchling Instinct hero ability. But the Chosen Dragon player couldn't help but feel like these levels after the number five held little significance since she could not grow into the Young Adult stage without first having a color.

But that was the problem, the locations of the Dragon Nests were unknown to her, even if there were the map's creeps placed in this new world it did not mean that segments of the terrain also carried over.

'I'm lucky that the creep's levels don't increase or else I would be having a rough time. But still, there is more out there than just the mindless creatures of Warcraft III.' Cora Rune thought to herself.

She turned herself towards the direction of the orphanage, 'I still have to reveal who I am to Tiffia and the children. At the very least I should converse with Tiffia." She said using the shortened name of the elven caretaker who had cared for her and all the orphans.

The Dragon player smiled, 'I can't help but be more reminded of Tolkien's elves more than High Elves when I see her. She sure has that facial expression of one.'

"It's back!" One of the children yelled in excitement, a young girl with long brown hair.

"Really? Wow, it got bigger!" A boy around the same age with blue hair said.

'This world sure has weird hair colors.' Cora thought once more as she passed by the squealing children that no doubt wanted to play a game of Dragons, Knights, and Princesses all over again.

She smirked, deciding to give them a small display. Cora approached the front of the house, before utilizing the Blink ability and disappear with a small blue light left behind.

The 5th Player teleported herself into the cottage, surprising Tiffania completely as the elven girl fumbled with a wooden stirring spoon and failing as it stumbled onto the floor.

"D-Don't surprise me like that!" Tiffania said as she bent down to pick up the fallen object.

"My apologies, I was entertaining the children," Cora said out loud.

"It's fine- Huh?" The half-elf blinked as she looked at the dragon, "Was that you that spoke?"

"Yes,"

"Oh… Well, you never told you me you could speak before."

"You're taking this rather lightly…"

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No, of course not!" The Dragon said, waving a paw in the air in denial.

Tiffania placed the wooden spoon on the counter, and leaned down to the Chosen Dragon's height, "You have a name?"

She didn't really expect this to go so smoothly, "Cora Rune…" The dragonet trailed off with a dumbfounded expression.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Tiffania Westwood." She smiled while reaching out in greeting.

"You know my claws are very sharp right?" Cora responded. "I could easily harm you with them. Not that I want too!"

She only continued to smile, "So, are you really a dragon?

"Yeah, I'm a Chosen Dragon."

"Chosen?"

Cora hovered herself from the floor and landed comfortable on a piece of furniture. "How we play a game of questions and answers while you cook? I am… Curious about the world, and you are about me?"

* * *

The first Chosen Dragon player, Saito Hiraga, observed the spectacle around him. It became very much apparent that the carriage held this nation's version of royalty. Now, since Saito is a roleplayer that knows bout Life of a Dragon, he is familiar with the concepts of Monarchs. The carriage, which was pulled by what-looked-like unicorns of all possible things, was surrounded by guardswomen carrying old-style muskets with bladed weaponry at their sides.

'The only question now, is what type of royalty Tristain has,' Saito thought to himself, familiar with the different types of leadership from the many roleplaying games he's played. Roleplayers, in particular, had many different versions of what they viewed as a Prince or Princess, from demon possession like in the map's old Human Kingdom lore, to complete badasses that fought against evil.

On the side note, his mind felt a little more at ease for some strange reason. Like something had lessened a burden upon it, it didn't notice it until after he had grown into a dragonet.

Perhaps it had something to do with the Growth System in the first place?

Unlike another, some other maps, Life of a Dragon Sequel's dragon Growth System didn't use the already premade transforming abilities or upgrading. If it had, it would be him transforming into one state to another. While upgrading, on the other hand, would have taken time as it slowly built his previous model into the new one.

But the Growth System used 100% Triggering.

He didn't know much about Triggering in general, but he did know the Growth System used it in a way that follows: When a Chosen Dragon reaches a certain level, it would create a new hero altogether, transfer the levels and items to the newly created hero, then remove the previous hero all together.

So, in technical terms, he was in a completely new body all over again.

But the runes on his paw carried over, so did they count as an item, or alter the current hero's abilities to include it?

'Too many questions,' Saito thought as he refocused his attention back to the matter at hand.

His gaze met the figure of a young girl stepping out of the carriage, wearing a white dress with a long violet-hued cape billowing behind her in the wind. The face adorned on her was a thing of beauty and elegance, masked perfectly with a kind smile that lifted his spirits with only a glance. On top of her head was adorned a small silver circuit-like object, with three gems placed throughout it.

"Who's that?" He spoke out loud.

"Quiet, Erisdar!" Louise Valliere scolded him soon after, reminding the Chosen Dragon about his secrecy of speech.

"Sorry," He whispered quietly in reply.

Saito took notice that the Princess looked towards their direction, eyes widening ever so little before returning back to the previous expression. Player 1 turned his attention back towards his master- No, wait a moment.

'When did? Nah, probably because she keeps saying it so often,' He chuckled inside his head. Still, he had seen that Louise held a rather soft expression when observing the Princess.

"Isn't she beautiful?" Siesta commented.

He looked back at the Princess, 'She is cute for a Princess, but isn't it written rule for Princess to be beautiful?' He could recall countless Roleplaying Games that had pretty-appearing royalty.

Only for the Princess to stab you in the back, get kidnapped for you to rescue, be useless altogether, or join your party to be the main healer.

'Dang it Saito, this isn't one of you RPG games!'

His absence in paying attention to his own thoughts caused him to not notice the royalty's approach to them. Siesta and Louise bowing down immediately while Saito only stood there on all four paws.

He's a Dragon, not to mention he's only half of Louise total height on all four. So he doesn't have to bow down, not that he would anyway.

"Louise, it is so good to meet you again," A gentle voice came out from the lips of the Princess.

"I'm honored by your presence, Princess. I thank you for your kind words," Louise Francoise Le Blanc De Valliere replied.

"Anges," The Princess said, Saito now taking notice of the blond musketeer Captain behind the royal girl.

"Yes Princess?" Angels spoke with a firm and commanding tone.

"Could you prepare a room for a more private conversation with my dear friend Louise?" She asked.

The Musketeer bowed graciously before making her way elsewhere to most likely followed the orders given to her.

"No your Highness, you don't have to pay attention to one such as myself…" Louise trailed off in rejection.

'What happened to the normally spitfire Louise?' Saito Hiraga thought to himself, arching a brow at the display of humility. Isn't Louise like fourteen or something compared to the Princess who's probably well many years older?

"Stand up Louise, let's go discuss elsewhere away from the public's eye." She answered.

Louise Valliere stood, and then they followed the Princess.

* * *

Asuna Godiva has spent the better most of her days as a Chosen Dragon scouring the surrounding landscape of the rather huge lake. If she could haggle of guess, it's size could be considered a rival to the Great Lakes of the United States. At any case, Player 3 had only just reached the fifth level as a Warcraft Hero, choosing her female gender as she grown into the Dragonet stage. She had while scouting out the area, encountered several common forest creatures that provided her experience points necessary for the Leveling process.

Having the Bulky Bulk ability for being a Strength Attribute helped.

It had been of great relief to see the golden light enveloped her form, and even better when she had grown into a Dragonet. It showed that despite being in an entirely new world in a foreign body, there was still the familiarity tied to Warcraft III's Life of a Dragon Sequel.

In any case, none of that was relevant to her current problem.

Asuna had little to no idea where or how to proceed towards.

The Chosen Dragon lay on top a rock just short of the water's edge, brief observation during her time here are pointed that the water levels had risen and sunk the nearby human-like town. Not to mention, the days that passed it expanded just a bit more.

"Huh?" Asuna Godiva said to herself, "I don't think water moves like that…"

The water began to shift, drawing towards a more outer area which then lifted and began forming into a humanoid shape. The Chosen Dragon felt anxious as she prepared to a possible fight against some mythical water creature of the deep.

"Unknown being that roams around my shores, what are you?"

'The water just spoke to me,' Asuna thought to herself. "I'm Asuna Godiva, who are you?"

"I ask what you are, not the title you call yourself. Your form resembles that of Rhyme Dragons, but there is a sleeping energy within you and the differences between yourself and those are great."

'It says I resemble these Rhyme Dragons, yet then comments how different I am to them?' The Chosen Dragon said to herself.

"I am a Chosen Dragon," She replied.

The formed water remained silent, before answering, "Chosen Dragon, I sense in you something that even for I, A Spirit of Water, consider a long time ago." It paused briefly before continuing, "Listen, Chosen Dragon, Listen."

So marked Asuna's beginning…

* * *

A blinding light enveloped Artos Archway's vision as he left the protective enchantments of the map's starting area. Once recollecting himself, the Chosen Dragon player immediately noticed that this was not the Orangebark Forest in the slightest.

For one, Artos very well knew that the words 'Gallia' had nothing in coming with the Human Kingdom of Kayla. It appeared that the cave's exit had been transported to another mountainside in a foreign country, just short of a traveling road.

He strangely could read the language as if it was English, then again, all Warcraft III language was English so it shouldn't be too much of a surprise.

"First order of business, find a Dragon Nest," He said out loud.

Perhaps following the road could prove fruitful?

* * *

Current Status:

Chosen Dragon Player 1: Saito Hiraga - Alive - Dragonet (Agility) Level 5

Chosen Dragon Player 2: Alex Storm - Alive - Hatchling (Strength) Level 2

Chosen Dragon Player 3: Asuna Godiva - Alive - Dragonet (Strength) Level 5

Chosen Dragon Player 4: Artos Archway - Alive - Dragonet (Agility) Level 7

Chosen Dragon Player 5: Cora Rune - Alive- Dragonet (Intelligence) Level 7

Dragon Slayer Player 6: Celdrahil - Alive - Slayer Level 7

Dragon Catcher Player 7: Rosina - Alive - Catcher Level 8

The Human Kingdom Player 8: Aylmer and Abigail - Alive - Royalty of Human Kingdom

The Fel Empire Player 9: Grom - Alive - King of Fel Empire

Mercenary Player 10: Elizabeth Loyal - Alive - Sorceress Level 2

Observer Map Maker: Map Maker - Alive - The World Editor


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note** : As always, thanks for the support that everyone has so graciously provided me. And welcome to new readers! In any case, let us resume our story in Life of a Zero Dragon!

A shout out to **Snipern0sniping** and his Fanfiction story _I will summon a dragon!_ An entertaining story sharing similarities of the what-if scenarios with Louise summoning a draconic familiar.

* * *

Life of a Zero Dragon

Chapter 12: Clashes between Worlds

Louise Francoise Le Blanc De La Valliere had felt very handpicked amongst the citizens earlier before, but as she was possibly the only notable aristocrat among them it is not entirely unexpected. But still, her heart beats with a wild thump as she stood alone with Henrietta, in a privatized room. Just outside the door, surrounding the room were her highness's Royal Musketeers. Louise's familiar, Erisdar, stood on all fours just beside the girl, his lifted head only reaching her waistline while the back wings remained folded in. Henrietta, Princess of Tristain, Hexagonal Water Mage, and not to mention her childhood friend, stood in front of Louise with a warm, kind smile.

"It's so good to see you after so long, Louise!" Henrietta said, beaming with joy that took the Valliere noble off guard for a brief moment.

"Please, Princess, you don't have to be so informal," Louise replied back, wishing to bow again but prevented from doing so by Henrietta's request.

"I didn't expect to see you until the Exhibition. But by luck or the Founder's will, I've met you beforehand." Henrietta seemed pleased with this fact, "Oh, please don't view me with such formalities, Louise Francoise, instead, look at me as a childhood friend."

"Princess…" Louise trailed off with a smile on her face, "I'm happy to see you after all these years as well."

Henrietta's smile grew like a beacon of hope had ignited within her. "It brings me so much joy to hear that from you," she noticed the gray-hued dragon looking creature besides Louise. "Is that you're familiar, I've always known you were talented Louise."

The pink-haired girl flushed with slight embarrassment, "Yes, this is my dragon familiar, Erisdar."

Louise Valliere waited for Erisdar to properly greet the Princess, only for the dragon to tilt his head at Henrietta.

"You have a cute familiar," Henrietta commented.

"Erisdar, greet the Princess! I trust her and so shall you." Louise commanded the dragonet.

The dragon remained silently before opening its jaw, revealing it's sharp canines before speaking out loud in a child-like voice with a type of growl behind it.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, I am Erisdar."

Henrietta de Tristain eyes opened in surprise at the Chosen Dragon being able to speak the human tongue. All the while, Louise smiled grew at the acknowledgment of being able to summon not only a dragon but an intelligent one.

"Are you a Rhyme Dragon?" The Princess asked. Her blue eyes scanning along the horns, claws, and scales of the young dragon.

"I don't know what a Rhyme Dragon is, but I assure you that I'm not one of them," Erisdar answered the question given to him.

Louise Valliere decided to speak, her voice holding much pride and hints of joy in it. "Erisdar is a Chosen Dragon, my familiar will be just as strong as the extinct Rhyme Dragons when he grows!"

Henrietta looked back to her childhood friend, "I look forward to seeing you and Erisdar in the Exhibition. But I'm afraid while I had only the intention of seeing the show, my attention was drawn by the reports of this environment appearing out of nowhere."

"Orangebark Forest, Princess," The familiar have a name.

"My familiar has knowledge of it," Louise said, "And I have journeyed through it by accident and encounter strong creatures within it. But a proper mage should be able to defeat them easily!"

"What kind of creatures?" The Princess questioned.

"Ogres," Erisdar replied, continuing he further explained, "Tall, two men high, crude creatures with a taste for anything made of flesh they can get their teeth into. Man, Elf, Orc, Dragon, it matters little what it is. The blue skinned ones with one head hold limited magical spellcraft while tan colored two-headed counterparts have excessive strength."

Henrietta paid close attention to the Chosen Dragon's explanation as he kept going.

"They can take a huge beating, unfaltering by any injury caused against them. Physical weapons are only slightly effective, but magic attacks would bring them down hastily. The issue in the matter is that for all their size, they will quickly close the distance between themselves and any range combatant. This is the reason you send Melee units against them as a shield wall."

The dragonet finished speaking, taking a deep breath as his enclosed wings furrowed slightly.

It was common Warcraft III knowledge, all units had an armor type. Each armor type had its own strengths and weaknesses. Only Hero armor type reduced a majority of attacks against it with no notable weakness of its own outside of Chaos Damage.

Ogres have Large Armor type, which meant that they took standard damage from all attacks with the exception of Magic, which it held a weakness against.

Not that Louise knew this, but her familiar sure did.

"How do you know all this, Erisdar?" Louise asked.

This caused the dragonet to fidget, his eyes looking around the place.

"Ah… I'm a Chosen Dragon from Kayla. The Orangebark Forest is from my world."

That raised only questions.

* * *

"Lok'Tar Ogar! For the Empire!"

"For the Warchief!"

"Blood and Thunder!"

"Grrah!"

"Let none survive!" Grom exclaimed as he raised the long katana blade from his arm, pointing it at the largest fake Orc encampment since he had arrived in this strange new world. The human mind and soul inside barely keeping the orcish instinct for battle from controlling his thoughts. But in comparison to what Blizzard Entertainment's lore said for the Orcs, the orcs of the Fel Empire had a lesser blood desire for battle.

But in no way was it a foreign concept.

The Red warriors of the Fel Empire charged forward in formation, dozens of battle axes raised as braced themselves for conflict with the orcish regrets that returned their battle cries. The Halkeginia orcs charged at them, spread apart, fat around their bodies bouncing uselessly in contrast to the toned muscles of the Fel Empire's own warriors.

As mortal armies charged blindly towards their doom, the burning warlocks above the cliff side next to a band of shaman both conjured forth their respective magical prowess, raining down fire and thunder upon their foes.

A rain of fire bolts hurled themselves through the sky, homing on to the Halkeginia orcs, blasting and charring flesh as they were knocked down, stunned by the force. While lightning coursed through them, electrifying their bodies and any allies around them.

The four dozen Fel Grunts of the Empire clashed against the superior number, stone hatchets and clubs deflecting against solid steel. While the Fel's own weapons chopped and tore through the cloth, fat, and bone. Grom, the Fel Warchief, slashed clean through a fattened pig of an Orc with little resistance. He and his army tearing apart the opposition in a glorious battle between two different orcish species.

"Grrah!" Grom yelled, teeth baring as the blood of his enemy splattered across his face. His body followed through, muscle memory guiding the blade as it pierced through another green skinned excuse.

He retreated back, allowing his warriors to cover his front as he raised an arm, signaling the next phase of the attack.

"Bloodlust spells, Shaman!" Grom yelled towards the supporting spell casters on the elevated cliff top.

It was one the first upgrades he did before attempting anything else, his army may get powerful if upgrading weapons and armor, but the usefulness of magic would increase tactical options in battle.

Bloodlust, a Warcraft III Shaman ability, it's a buff that increases Attack Speed by a large margin for a short period of time.

It could be devastating.

And it was.

The frontline grunts muscles were surrounded by a furious red energy, their movements quickened exponentially. The defenses of the Halkeginia orcs faltered immediately, and they retreated back to their home encampment. The Fel Empire's forces were about to give chase but their Warchief halted them.

"Grunts, form a wall!" Grom yelled, the ninth player watching as the Grunts scrambled into position. They knew better than to disobey their Warchief, they did not beat back the demons by not utilizing tactics. "Crossbow Orcs, behind the wall!"

"Now, load bolts and push forward slowly! Once within range, let loose!"

There were no Trolls, Goblins, or Tauren within the Fel Empire. It was purely Fel Orcs, any units removed were replaced with custom models. The Troll Headhunter, the primary range unit for the Warcraft Orcs, was replaced by Fel Crossbowmen.

The native orcs of Halkeginia were doomed from the beginning, these new Orcs were strong, advanced, and held intelligence much greater than their own. The humans had always been better, but it was their otherworldly cousins that would wipe them from existence. It mattered little, for the Halkeginia orcs were creatures with no morals, no honor, and rudimentary intelligence. They would not be missed.

The following hour fires burning while smoke pillared into the skies. The largest and last encampment of the now extinct Halkeginia orcs pillaged for its resources and previous inhabitant's remains scorched, nothing but blackened bones and ash. Grom held little remorse of pity for them, the creatures these sorry excuse for orcs ate were but human infants.

But it didn't matter anymore, while a small part of him relished in getting a vague amount of vengeance, the main goal of establishing a forward hold in this world had been accomplished. The large encampment they had just taken over had been stripped of useful material and once the fires died down, would be a new construction site for the first Fel Orc civilization. All the territory of the fake orcs is now their own, farms would be established, possible mines evacuated for gold, and military presence secured.

"Warchief, the last of the Scouts as returned." A Fel Raider stated.

"Excellent, what news?" Grom questioned the scout that has entered his view.

"It is those creatures you told us about, Humans. We discovered a curious few that had seen our operations against the fake orcs. They don't appear to be warriors, and seem fearful of us." He answered.

"Mmmh, very well. I shall deal with them, the knowledge they hold could prove useful in establishing our presence in this unknown realm." Grom said. "Take them into a Fel Burrow after its construction, it'll serve our purpose for now."

The Fel Orc on the large wolf beat his chest with his fist in acknowledgement, "Yes, Chieftain!"

* * *

The Map Maker stood in front of the screen, the underside of his eyes holding a purple hue that could only a sure sign of sleep deprivation. But, really, how could he sleep with he now had so many responsibilities and with such a great time difference? A lone minute of dozing off would spell five crucial minutes of action occurring in the world of Kayla, or was it now whatever the natives called the world?

His knowledge was limited, but it seemed whatever the Players learned added to the notepad he had on hand. So far, the large European-like continent was named Halkeginia. It held various human nations, one Elven, and a large spread encampments of other lesser races. The Halkeginian Orcs no longer counting with their extinction.

Their extinction was inevitable, eighty percent of the population was wiped off the map. With their reputation, they will be hunted down one by one with little remorse.

The Map Maker simply didn't care, what he did care was getting some sleep right now… Hunger hadn't been a problem yet, but he needed to restore his 'mental batteries' so to speak.

He shook his head, first, a recap.

The Chosen Dragons have all grown into the Non-Elemental Dragonet Stage. Now they all needed to find their elements.

Unfortunately all the Dragon Nest locations were scattered about all over Halkeginia, strangely only across that Continent. This will make is difficult for four of the five Chosen Dragon players to find a color for their scales.

The Dragon Slayer seemed to be handling this quite well, in fact, he seemed a bit enjoying it. It unnerved the Map Maker but it seemed little harm.

The Dragon Catcher had been caught up in a rebellion of sorts, with her level it would be disastrous. He'll have to do something to help out.

The Human Kingdom is beginning to have increased tensions with their new neighbors. The northern kingdom, Germania, remains unaware. But Gallia has taken notice and soon Romania as well.

The Fel Empire is expanding nicely, their little war with the Halkeginia Orcs proved very beneficial. The Map Maker believed that the player for that hero must have been a Veteran of some description back on Earth.

The Mercenary is still safe and sound in the Kingdom and is getting equipment which increases her chances of survival out there in the unknown.

Sleep… He needed to sleep.

A bed appeared behind him, little explanation, but it replied to his thoughts. The room's ever bright halls dimmed down.

He bit his lip, every minute is five, every hour is five… If he has, at least, six hours, then only a day will pass.

Well… No use in over worrying, he's sure they can last at least one day.

* * *

Current Status:

Chosen Dragon Player 1: Saito Hiraga - Alive - Dragonet (Agility) Level 5

Chosen Dragon Player 2: Alex Storm - Alive - Hatchling (Strength) Level 2

Chosen Dragon Player 3: Asuna Godiva - Alive - Dragonet (Strength) Level 5

Chosen Dragon Player 4: Artos Archway - Alive - Dragonet (Agility) Level 7

Chosen Dragon Player 5: Cora Rune - Alive- Dragonet (Intelligence) Level 7

Dragon Slayer Player 6: Celdrahil - Alive - Slayer Level 7

Dragon Catcher Player 7: Rosina - Alive - Catcher Level 8

The Human Kingdom Player 8: Aylmer and Abigail - Alive - Royalty of Human Kingdom

The Fel Empire Player 9: Grom - Alive - King of Fel Empire

Mercenary Player 10: Elizabeth Loyal - Alive - Sorceress Level 2

Observer Map Maker: Map Maker - Alive - The World Editor


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note** : As always, thanks for the support that everyone has so graciously provided me. And welcome to new readers! In any case, let us resume our story in Life of a Zero Dragon!

P.S. I'm American, but I'll try to post the difference between 'Feet' and Meters next to one another as much as I can.

* * *

Life of a Zero Dragon

Chapter 13: The Dangers

Saito stood on all four paws next to Siesta, the Chosen Dragon watching the spectacle occurring before him as both commoner and dragonet observed the futile efforts of the local townspeople attempting to cut into the trunks of the Orangebark trees. He couldn't help but shake his head, such efforts were useless as even if the forest was removed the spawning system for the Ogres would remain intact.

"Not even steel tools are working," Siesta commented.

Saito nodded, he couldn't speak due be being outside and with so many people around. But subtle nods like this would go unnoticed.

'Of course, they won't work, I've mentioned this beforehand. But nobody listens to me, even with Louise explaining it. The townspeople are stubborn.' Saito thought to himself.

"It's clobbering time!"

Without warning, two eight foot tall ogres burst out from the confines of the Orangebark Forest. The rune engraved into Saito's paw glowed brightly, his awareness seemed to extend itself to Louise's position with a strange feeling occurring.

Danger. Help.

The locals fell back, running in fear from the tan-hued Ogre Mauler, and the blue skinned Ogre Magi. The latter which hands were surrounded in a reddish magic that shot forward towards its creep companion, hasting its attack speed.

Saito briefly recalled the Ogre Magi's magical ability, Bloodlust. It could be used to drastically increased attack speed with no consequence to itself.

But he couldn't help the Musketeers that ran forward to meet the Ogres in combat, his master was in danger.

He didn't notice himself calling Louise master again.

The blink spell activated, his body disappearing in a flash of blue light, leaving a relatively safe Siesta who was too far away from the Ogres to be endangered. The Chosen Dragonet reappeared just a little ways from his previous location, immediately taking notice of a ten foot tall armored Ogre sending a chunk of rock at Louise only for it to be destroyed by a powerful crushing blast of water.

If he had lips, he would have bit it by now.

Saito recognized that particular creature anywhere, an Ogre Lord. It's a higher level monster than the others, with power to match. Level and power go hand and hand in the Warcraft universe, frankly any RPG for that matter and Life of a Dragon Sequel was no exception.

He felt his blink ability cooldown click mentally, signaling its readiness for usage. Saito Hiraga, not wasting a single moment, acted with a lack of self-preservation. The runes of his paw glowing brightly as his figure vanished from sight in a blue light before appearing before the massive Ogre Lord's vision, confusing the creature only for the briefest moment on whether it should now target the new being before it.

Our little dragon hero struck first, his jaw clamping down onto the Ogre's forelimb.

"Erisdar!" He heard Louise's voice call out for him, shock evident in her voice at his sudden appearance and defense of her person.

"Focus, Louise!" Another voice, it took Saito a few seconds to tie it to Princess Henrietta. She must have been with Louise during the initial encounter with the Ogre Lord.

Speaking of which, the large-sized creep flung the limb on which Saito held onto with his teeth, specks of blood dripping from the Ogre's injury.

Then a giant wooden club smashed the Chosen Dragon right against his head and chest, stunning him with such a devastating blow. Saito had to recoil, releasing his grip and taking precious time in recovery.

He had forgotten completely about Bash, a common creep passive ability that has a chance of stunning with additional damage.

Once he recovered, he noticed the Ogre Lord reeling back its club at an odd angle.

'Wait, isn't that-'

Hatchling Instinct took over.

His wings lifted him with a heaving push from the ground, allowing his figure to be considered flying in the air by a few precious feet, or three meters. The Ogre Lord's club slammed into the ground, dragging it forward still and breaking apart the earth below before it released a strong line of yellow magical energy mixed with kinetic force.

The shockwave blew Saito out of the air, scrapping his legs as it passed below him. His wings lost control, sending him spiraling and plummeting from the air, crashing back to the ground fifteen feet, four and a half meters, away.

But the Ogre Lord's spell did not end so briefly, it continued its crushing travel line towards Louise and Henrietta's position. The Princess felt herself being pushed out of the way as the pink-haired teenager had moved to save her friend and country's royalty.

"Louise!" Henrietta cried out in alarm, reaching out with an arm fruitlessly as she fell out of the line of fire.

Saito opened an eye, all four legs straining and hurting, only to see the Shockwave hit Louise with full force.

"Louise…" He coughed out.

Blood splattered.

And a torrent of water answered in kind.

* * *

Louise Francoise Le Blanc De La Valliere opened her eyes slowly, vision but a blur as it strained to clear itself. The seventeen-year old's sight regained itself to reveal that she now lay in a bed within the Tristain Academy of Magic. She groaned, feeling exhaustion aching her body, and briefly wondered what sort of explosive lesson landed herself in the medical room this time. But once Louise's mind cleared up from the drowsiness beset upon her awakening, her body bolted upright from the bed with an alarming cry.

"Princess, Erisdar!" Louise cried out, "They are in danger!"

She flung out of her sheets, only to collapse due to her sleeping legs, Louise hustled back to her feet and was about to leave the room only for the door to open wide before she could grasp the handle.

Princess Henrietta stood right in front of her, her Captain Agnes behind.

Louise then noticed how she stood in front of her princess in nothing but a baby blue gown.

Well, the teenager's face flustered a deep pink.

Nevertheless, she bowed before Henrietta.

"Please forgive me for being so underdressed, your majesty!" Louise said as her cheeks betrayed her embarrassment. Then remembered the primary reason she had bolted out of the bed, "Princess, are you alright?" She asked in concern.

Henrietta kneeled down and enveloped Louise in a surprise hug, the explosive mage blinking a few times at the sudden sign of affection.

"I'm so glad you're again Louise, I thought I almost lost you. But I swore I'll help you in a bind, that includes such injuries… I'm only glad I was there to heal you and you're familiar saved us." Henrietta said, emotion flooding out of her mouth with every word. "Why did you do that, why did you push me out of the way?"

Louise returned the hug, before breaking it and looking at Henrietta's face, "Because I promised I'll be there for you."

Agnes then spoke, "Students are heading this way, your highness." She said.

Henrietta nodded, recovering her emotions and reeling them back into control. Louise doing the same, but not with the same strength as her princess.

"Highness?" Louise asked.

"I'm to take over the crown since my father's passing. Louise, you've been unconscious for three days." The soon-to-be-queen answered her childhood friend.

"Three days?" Louise questioned in shock, "That means I missed the exhibition…" She trailed off in disappointment.

"It's nothing to be disappointed about, Louise, you did something that worth a hundred more than a silly show." Henrietta comforted.

Louise smiled, then took a prideful expression. "You're right! I'll like to see everyone's face knowing that I saved the crown princess of Tristain!"

Henrietta giggled at her reaction, "That's my friend."

"Your highness," Agnes spoke, motioning they're having to leave.

"I must leave now, Louise Francoise, take care of yourself and Erisdar." She turned to leave, but then stopped and turned right around. "I've nearly forgotten," She said pulling out a small brown pouch, "Take this, it appeared after the Ogre's defeat and Erisdar explained what it was after I've healed you as much as I could. I thought it was best you should have it, your familiar is quite intelligent and cares a lot for you."

"As he should," Louise smiled as she took the pouch, feeling an object within it. "Thank you."

With a smile, the Princess of Tristain and her guard left the room.

Louise looked at the brown pouch she held, opening it, she emptied the pouch into her left open palm. A single, bronze-hued ring with small gems embedded along it landed on to her hand.

Something seemed to whisper into her head, telling her the object's name and what it does.

Ring of Protection + 1.

"What is this…" Louise trailed off.

* * *

Three days have passed since the encounter with travelers from Gallia, crucial information was picked and sorted from the cooperating civilians. This allowed the Kingdom of Kayla to plan and plot concerning the delicate political atmosphere and staggering military presence surrounding the small nation. Such news gleaned from the now released traders and travelers revealed little of what was the norm for this world's spell casters. But from what the reactions of the civilians when they were let go to freely roam the city of Arcantis, the magical prowess of the Human Kingdom of Kayla differ in many areas, but not all of them.

But while the Kayla Kingdom's King had appreciated the sights and learned much from his visit to Arcantis, he had to return to the capital. His sister still remained in good health, but the clock is ticking as the days pass.

A week before Aylmer and Abigail were transported into what had seemed to be the Warcraft III map. Abigail had made her bi-monthly trip to the Hospital and gotten treatment for her genetic disease. They had been very fortunate it had been so recently.

But time is running out, Aylmer estimated that Abigail had, at least, nine weeks before she started experiencing deadly symptoms.

And six weeks until the first non-lethal symptoms started popping up.

But he had a few ideas that could help slow down, perhaps possibly treat, the disease.

And by any luck, miraculous cure her.

He doubted the last one, how could even magic remove a disease embedded within the DNA of a person?

But right now, he had some pressing matters to attend to, like the burning city of Polarvale and its new demonic residents. Well, actually old residents as they had been there since the early map versions that made Life of a Dragon Sequel.

"Marthan, any news concerning our forces for the battle against the demons within Polarvale?" He asked his advisor. The young King sat on his throne overlooking the Kingdom's Capital, his loyal subjects going about their daily lives while the forces gathered around the pre-built barracks and the newly constructed one.

Pre-built meaning it was there at the start of the game, since it was placed on the map with the World Editor beforehand while newly constructed having been made in-game.

"We have a dozen footmen along with a dozen archers. The knights are taking longer to train, but we do have a paladin ready to serve."

Aylmer nodded, unlike Warcraft III, the Paladins were just units and not heroes in Life of a Dragon. They held the Holy Light spell and the Devotion Aura, both useful as the support for armies.

"Good work, when can we expect the full readiness of our forces?"

The transition into this new world changed the mechanics of Warcraft III somewhat, normally in Life of a Dragon's altered units, it would have taken fifteen seconds to make a single footman.

But now, it took fifteen hours to create six footmen in one go.

Thankfully it was a group of units created, otherwise, he was sure the Kingdom would be screwed.

Since Knights normally took thirty seconds in the map, it now took thirty hours. Really it just converted seconds into hours.

Still, in terms of reality, this was unbelievably fast training time.

"Within six hours your majesty, they will be finished training at sunset."

"We march at that time, we cannot delay fighting these demons," Aylmer said, it not like it mattered what time they fought. Warcraft III only decreased vision at night, which did very little overall in a custom RPG map.

"As you say…" Marthan trailed off.

* * *

Current Status:

Chosen Dragon Player 1: Saito Hiraga - Alive - Dragonet (Agility) Level 6

Chosen Dragon Player 2: Alex Storm - Alive - Hatchling (Strength) Level 2

Chosen Dragon Player 3: Asuna Godiva - Alive - Dragonet (Strength) Level 5

Chosen Dragon Player 4: Artos Archway - Alive - Dragonet (Agility) Level 7

Chosen Dragon Player 5: Cora Rune - Alive- Dragonet (Intelligence) Level 7

Dragon Slayer Player 6: Celdrahil - Alive - Slayer Level 7

Dragon Catcher Player 7: Rosina - Alive - Catcher Level 8

The Human Kingdom Player 8: Aylmer and Abigail - Alive - Royalty of Human Kingdom

The Fel Empire Player 9: Grom - Alive - King of Fel Empire

Mercenary Player 10: Elizabeth Loyal - Alive - Sorceress Level 2

Observer Map Maker: Map Maker - Alive - The World Editor


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note** : As always thanks for all the support you've given me for this story! On the other note, Life of a Dragon Sequel v2.1 had been released few months ago. I forgot to mention it in the previous chapter. It featuring new content, fixes, new environments, buildings, items and even a brand new Dragon choice! Skeletal Dragons!

What will this mean for Life of a Zero Dragon? Well, I'll have the story's map 'update' in the future to include new possibilities for our protagonists.

Now enjoy the story!

* * *

Life of a Zero Dragon

Chapter 14: The Effects of Items

Like a predatory animal hunting its prey, the Chosen Dragon Erisdar felt uneasy of his surroundings, as if something was coming this way. In this academy of magic, there was only one such force of unmatchable presence. His little pink haired so-called master, Louise Valliere.

Why only Louise Valliere? Because it was far easier to roll off the tongue and mind, seriously, who gives a child like six middle names?

Nobles and their titles…

"Erisdar!" The voice of Louise screamed out as the door to her room slammed open, the proud noble girl stomped into her own room while staring at the dragon half her size.

Erisdar held a confused expression, a slab of cooked meat hanging from his closed jaws, the meal provided to him by Siesta a few minutes before Louise had entered the room.

"What is this!?" Louise held forward in an open palm, a Ring of Protection plus one.

Erisdar simply gave a deadpanned expression before continuing his meal.

"Don't ignore me, I'm your master!" She said in annoyance.

He continued eating anyway.

"Ugh, why did I summon a dragon like you?" The young mage questioned in frustration, sitting on the bed and examining the object gifted to her by the Princess half an hour ago. "Sorry," She finally said after a full few minutes.

The Chosen Dragon swallowed the remains of the steak, before heading towards the door and closing it with the end of his tail. Then, he spoke.

"Louise, you may be my master but you don't control me," Erisdar said.

"Huh?" Louise was surprised, the atmosphere around him had changed strangely. "What you mean, you're my familiar and a familiar does what the master says."

"A slave does what a master says," Erisdar stated. "I'm a dragon, a creature of incredible magical power and intelligence. Summoned or not, I'm not going to just give away my freedom. Even if you cared for me as a hatchling."

Louise Francoise blinked, 'What is he talking about? I've cared for him and treated him well didn't I?' The girl thought to herself.

"Louise," Erisdar began once more, "You've cared for me and I appreciate that, but can you stop bragging about you being my master all the time? It's very childish. We're partners in this world aren't we?" He questioned, thinking back to the Role Playing Games that held summons that Louise had no knowledge of.

"Partners… That's…" She trailed off, was Partnership it really so bad? Erisdar is something akin to a Rhyme Dragon, only much stronger perhaps. So he's very smart, and he doesn't complain too much. "I guess we can be considered partners, as long as you remain my familiar?" It was something she was secretly afraid of, he's intelligent, he can make his own decisions… Erisdar could leave her… Then she'll be Louise the Zero all over again because the only proof of her magic left.

"I'm fine with that," Erisdar said. "It's my job to protect you, right? Partners do that too."

"And gather reagents," She corrected absently.

"Well, I don't know about your reagents but I'm knowledgeable about other items," The Chosen Dragon replied, pointing a talon at the ring in Louise's hand. "Like that Ring of Protection, you have in her palm."

"I knew it was called that… I came here asking that."

"I'm aware… Do you want to know more?"

She looked at the sitting dragonet, his wings folded and all four paws touching the ground. "Yes, it… It's like it told me its name when I held it."

He nodded, "Items do that, well, now they do, it's complicated. But what I'm saying is that all items have a description tied to it that tells you exactly what that particular item does. Some items are incredibly powerful and hold their own tie-in histories." The non-elemental dragonet explained.

Louise nodded and motioned for her familiar to continue.

"It gets hard to explain, some items increase stats-"

"Stats, sound dumb," Louise commented.

"Please don't interrupt… Just, stats are very important. They tell you what you're good at physically. Strength values your overall health, the amount of damage you can take before death. Agility revolves around speed while also increasing resistance to physical attacks. Then their Intelligence, which affects how large your magical reserves are and how quickly it restores itself."

"Intelligence sounds like the strongest," The pink-haired girl said her opinion, "It's about magic so it should be."

"That's your opinion, but what I'm saying is that there are many items that improve either of the three stats," Erisdar said, proud of his knowledge he gleaned from experiencing the Warcraft III universe. "Some items focus elsewhere, like increasing your speed alone or protecting you from attacks by-"

"Increasing resistance to physical attacks," Louise finished as she caught on to what he was referring to, the Ring of Protection. That is a very handy object and valuable, with such a ring mages didn't have to worry about things like arrows, musket balls, or blades in battle any longer.

"It increasing your 'Armor' rating, which is a term for how resistant you are." Erisdar finished, "Doesn't make you invincible, though, remember I said resistance, not invulnerability."

She nodded, "Agreed, only a fool would mistake that." Louise Valliere replied.

Erisdar strangely chuckles like as if he had done that particular mistake in the past. Then he got up and walked forward to the girl, hovering his paw over her hand before closing the girl's fingers over the ring.

"Keep it secret, keep it safe," He stated with a small grin, "Always have it on, items like this can't be stolen unless you willingly drop it somewhere or give it away. At least, that's what the items are supposed to be like."

"You sound like something could change that," Louise said.

"Well with everything happening who knows?" The dragon chuckled, "Oh, by the way, did Henrietta talk about the theft of something called the Staff of Destruction from the Academy's vault?"

"What!?"

* * *

Saito Hiraga felt that perhaps his pink haired, teenage, flat-chested, petite master had a bully problem at school. Sure he was a little slow on the intake but even he could notice that the bully problem tore apart at Louise's self-confidence and gave her a constant need to prove herself. It was perhaps the very reason she wasn't freaking the hell out when he explained the many mechanics of Warcraft III's influence in this world.

He didn't understand why exactly her peers mocked her, though, Louise soaked up explanations and information like a sponge and from what he knew, her academic grades utterly destroyed the competition. But time and time again he would catch the whispers in her direction, or most predominantly, the name calling when she failed a spell.

Louise the Zero.

Saito felt like an idiot for not realizing what that name truly meant when he first heard it when accidentally transporting himself inside the classroom that one time. But if there was anything he did know, is that she's been striving through this bullying for nearly two years already and that he marked her first magical success at spellcraft.

Not to mention, he's the only thing keeping her from being expelled due to what the teachers call sheer incompetence in mage spellcasting.

He couldn't help but grin, they were fools. They call him a slow learning back home but he knew there were many ways to cast magic in Life of a Dragon that didn't involve having the spells in the first place.

And from he knew of Louise, apparently the Warcraft System recognized her as a Hero class.

Otherwise, the Ring of Protection she now wore wouldn't give her its bonus, as units cannot use items after all.

Now where was he? Ah, yes, watching Louise do a bit of a foolish moment right now as the hidden inferiority complex gets to her. All the while going behind the excuse of because she is a noble.

Nobility doesn't grant you VIP access to everything.

"Headmaster, I'm responsible!" Louise exclaimed.

"Incorrect," the Headmaster Osmond said, "You were in the Medical Wing during this time and even if you were, the thief, Fouquet, has a whole day ahead of you."

Louise bit her lip in frustration, "Can't I do anything to help in the search events?"

He shook his head, "You should just stay at the Academy and continue your studies, Ms. Valliere."

Saito turned his head, looking at the teacher Ms. Longueville that was currently going through a small stack of papers. But strangely looked back now and then to Louise.

'Strange…' The Chosen Dragon player thought to himself, he walked up to Louise and nudged his head against her leg to get her attention from trying to convince the Headmaster. He tapped his talon against her shoe three times, a little code they came up with to indicate he had something to tell her.

"Very well, Headmaster, I'll drop it," Louise said.

Osmond nodded, "Now off you go."

The girl and her dragon familiar left the room and went down the hall to a more isolated location, looking around to see anyone they then entered an empty room and closed the door.

"What is it Erisdar? Can't you see I'm trying to help bring back the Staff of Destruction?" She questioned the human-turned-dragon.

"That's great and all, but the Headmaster won't allow that," Saito replied, "You'll have to do it by yourself or with others. I mean, I can easily search for it with my Blink ability because it allows me to travel quickly with short teleportations, but I can't fight well as a non-elemental."

"Right, no element, you said something about that earlier…" Louise trailed off, it seemed to irk her when she mentioned no element. She crossed her arms, fingers tapping on them as the girl expressed a thoughtful look.

"Doesn't someone else have a dragon for a familiar? Pretty sure I saw a type of blue dragon when Siesta was 'caring' for me." Saito Hiraga stated with a sarcastic remark of caring.

"Tabitha?" Louise said questionably, "She is the top spellcaster in the class and does have a grown dragon, does her dragon grow- No, you said only Chosen Dragons have that ability."

"How about we just ask?" He replied.

"Hopefully, Kirche isn't with her, she tends to talk to Tabitha now and then." Louise Valliere finished.

Meanwhile, outside of the doorway…

"Interesting… So the dragon can talk… Which means he might be able to use the Staff of Destruction because of the Gandalf runes, I'll have to plan this right but I might be able to use some… Assets in my favor." Ms. Longueville grinned, quietly stepping away and making her way back towards the Headmaster.

Unknown to them all, the Map Maker watches… Events are about to change...

* * *

Current Status:

Chosen Dragon Player 1: Saito Hiraga - Alive - Dragonet (Agility) Level 6

Chosen Dragon Player 2: Alex Storm - Alive - Hatchling (Strength) Level 2

Chosen Dragon Player 3: Asuna Godiva - Alive - Dragonet (Strength) Level 5

Chosen Dragon Player 4: Artos Archway - Alive - Dragonet (Agility) Level 7

Chosen Dragon Player 5: Cora Rune - Alive- Dragonet (Intelligence) Level 7

Dragon Slayer Player 6: Celdrahil - Alive - Slayer Level 7

Dragon Catcher Player 7: Rosina - Alive - Catcher Level 8

The Human Kingdom Player 8: Aylmer and Abigail - Alive - Royalty of Human Kingdom

The Fel Empire Player 9: Grom - Alive - King of Fel Empire

Mercenary Player 10: Elizabeth Loyal - Alive - Sorceress Level 2

Observer Map Maker: Map Maker - Alive - The World Editor


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note:** Thanks for all the support everyone, I'm glad you continue to enjoy the story.

 **Lazy Kaloz:** It makes me happy to see another new reader say they enjoy the story! Also thanks for pointing that break in continuity! I'll be more careful in my writing, or try too at least!

Without further adieu, enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Life of a Zero Dragon

Chapter 15: Potential of Two

A being of incredible power stood watching over the world of Kayla. The Map Maker didn't know what the current world itself was called outside of the continent, but Life of a Dragon's world was named Kayla, and so he will call it as such until corrected otherwise by any information gleaned from its inhabitants by the Players. He had slept rather peacefully yesterday, all-powerful god he might now be, it brought him comfort that he still had human limits.

But three days, three days had passed in real time from the moment he slept. After awakening, he had checked the current situation of the Players. Thankfully none of them died, relieving him of some stress, some of them had leveled a little more but it seemed that the leveling process slowed in this new realm, possibly an invisible conflict between Warcraft III's rules and the rules of this world.

The Kingdom and Fel Empire was doing just fine, what with their armies and nations it would be hard for the player hero to die in the first place or be at any serious risk, at the same time their Hero Altars are well protected from outside forces or creeps.

Meanwhile, the Dragon Slayer and Catcher were leagues away from one another and would not probably meet anytime soon. Both players were separated by at least two nations, one being in Albion, and other in Gallia. On the plus side, they were growing strong quickly and seemed to be helping the local NPCs in whatever issue they have.

Mercenary-wise, the Sorceress had reached the fifth hero level and currently made her way southward into the Desert. The Map Maker didn't know whether or not the Players could feel temperature, but from what he saw with the Dragon Catcher, they were affected but had some resistance to the elements.

Deciding to take matters into his own hands for a brief instant, he created a trigger that would enable once she reaches a certain point into the desert. This would create a Bronze Dragonet that would approach and offer to guide her to the Bronze Dragon Nest while also allying the Dragons and Dragon Allies NPCs to the Mercenary Player just in case.

Event:

A unit owned by Elizabeth enters Desert Region.

Condition:

Unit-type of Triggering Unit equal to Sorceress.

Action:

Set MercVariable to Sorceress.

Create 1 Bronze Dragonet for Player Gray (Dragon NPCs) at center of Desert Region.

Set TempDragon to (Last Created Unit)

Order TempDragon to move toward target Sorceress.

Wait 20 Seconds

Game Text to Player Group - Elizabeth and display text _"Greetings human hero of Kayla, I've been sent to guide you through the Desert towards the Bronze Dragon Nest by the Maker. If you'll follow me I will lead you down a safe and quicker path."_

Order TempDragon to attack-move toward region Bronze Dragon Nest.

Turn off (This Trigger).

That was a relatively simple trigger to get the job done, turning off the trigger doesn't mean that it stops at the moment, it merely prevents the trigger itself from happening twice. Still, it was the single creation action of the Bronze Dragonet that drained the metaphysical battery life of the World Editor from it's fully charged 100% to 88%. Though it is far more efficient in conserving energy than placing the unit straight into the world, it took the time to create the trigger.

Nodding in a pleased moment that he took care of the Mercenary Player, Elizabeth, he turned his attention to the Chosen Dragons. Asuna seemed to be some strange errands, but she was avoiding dangers so she's fine. Artos himself seemed isolated from everything, but he had some close proximity to the Dragon Slayer the further he journeyed.

The Map Maker was sure the Slayer would put aside his namesake to help a fellow player.

Alex remained in the safety of the Bronze Dragons but still remained a hatchling. With the Mercenary coming towards his direction they could team up and allow Alex to safely grow to the Dragonet stage. Cora Rune in the meantime seemed to be having some trouble finding a Dragon Nest to choose her element.

The Blue Dragons were nearby her location, but she had to journey north away from that cottage she stayed around so much. The Map Maker made a tiny trigger that merely told her the general direction and where to head to.

85%.

Now for Saito Hiraga…

From all the other players, Saito probably had the oddest location. It was a magical school of all things which sounded like it was ripped from anime or someone really liked Harry Potter.

The Map Maker zoomed into Saito's location, the Chosen Dragon Player was currently in conversation with the NPC, Louise Francoise Le Blanc De La Valliere. Oddly enough, she currently had a Ring of Protection + 1 in her inventory, her Stats page revealing that indeed, her Armor Rating has increased by one as long as she wore the item.

The Map Maker only assumed that the player had made friends with the girl, or wished to protect an ally. He didn't mind, it lightened his heart to know that the Player made something cherishable in this strange world.

Still, it appeared that they were being listened in on. The Map Maker briefly examined the eavesdroppers status page, whom unlike the pink haired teenager, had all the information readily available for reading. She did not have the best intentions for the Chosen Dragon and his newly made friend.

Something must be done.

* * *

Louise Francoise Le Blanc De La Valliere had little clue on how she actually managed to convince Tabitha, who turned out to be a Chevalier as well, to actually go through with coming with her. She even brought Erisdar, who she now values as a wellspring of information, to the side to really check with him to make sure she heard what Tabitha said was right.

He acknowledged what she had heard, and also said that it would be wise to know information of where Fouquet could possibly be.

This, Louise, agreed too. Louise's opinion of the Chosen Dragon continued to shift for the better with each passing day with him by her side. Erisdar had shown her, and explained, concepts and ideas that baffled her to the point it was hard to believe such things existed, yet here he was, with plenty of proof to back it.

The noble girl wondered why she had never heard of these things before, but that was for another time.

"Wait!"

Louise and Erisdar looked toward the direction of the sound while Tabitha continued reading a novel of some description. The Valliere girl's face instantly contorted into one of annoyance.

"What do you want, Zerbst?" Louise questioned with simmering frustration.

"Why, I want to join your little charade to retrieving the Staff of Destruction of course." The rather very tanned skinned, red haired, Kirche von Anhalt Zerbst stated.

Louise was not convinced.

"Don't give me that look, I'm sure Tabitha would enjoy my company," Kirche said, looking towards the small short-haired girl who continued to seemingly ignore her.

"Well…" Tabitha replied, but didn't finish her sentence in the slightest.

"See, she agrees." The robust women finished.

"No, no, no!" Louise denied it repeatedly, "You're not coming with us, I'll find the Staff of Destruction without your help, Zerbst!" She pointed accusingly at Kirche with anger laced in her voice.

Erisdar avoided getting into the upcoming conversation, instead opting to lay down in the grass and just stare into the open in thought. Louise couldn't help but feel like she was let alone with this frustrating character that belonged to her family's 'rival'.

Thankfully, the school secretary Ms. Longueville interrupted to an almost commonplace argument between the Valliere and the Zerbst. Stopping the increasingly angry argument from turning into an all out cat fight.

Erisdar raised his head as the Salamander the size of himself came into view, but the moment the creature came close he growled, causing it to step back.

"I think my familiar likes yours," Kirche.

'More like Erisdar would eat it if it comes too close' Louise thought to herself, almost finding a pleasurable sight at the image of her dragon familiar destroying the Zerbst's own.

"Now students, what's this I hear about trying to retrieve the Staff of Destruction?" Ms. Longueville asked, causing Louise to face her.

"We decided to retrieve it to restore the reputation of the Academy!" Louise replied proudly, her stance reflecting her voice.

"I'm going so that she doesn't take all the fame," Kirche answered.

"Asked," Tabitha replied with a single word.

Longueville hid a smile, "Well it's good timing, I so happened to be assigned in seeking out the Staff and I have a very good lead to where it's located along with Fouquet. I'm sure such prestiged nobles as yourselves will be very helpful in bringing it back to the Academy."

* * *

Saito Hiraga, also known as Erisdar by Louise, felt like something was currently off about the current flow of progress. It hadn't anything to do with the pink-haired tsundere of a master, but it was more revolved around Longueville herself. But he couldn't put a talon on what it could be about her that bothered him so.

Saito lay against one of the sides of the wooden carriage, his face looking into the woods but his mind absent from the world. He chooses to completely ignore the ranting between his 'master' and the perverted woman, Kirche in favor of just appreciating the sights. It also seemed the girl named Tabitha followed suit in favor of reading, he wondered what exactly she was reading in the first place.

The Chosen Dragon's head shot up in alarm, something just came over them, something extremely powerful.

Tabitha noticed this, "Louise," She said, getting the Zero's attention. "Erisdar." She pointed toward his direction.

Louise pushed Kirche out of the way and looked toward her familiar, "What is it Erisdar? Did you spot Fouquet?"

He lay his day back down, but remained cautious, 'Could it be another Warcraft creep? Or perhaps something entirely new to Life of a Dragon? Whatever it is, I don't want to meet it as a Dragonet.'

The horse carriage stopped, Longueville exited while pointing toward a distant dingy household. "We've arrived."

Louise stepped off, looking at the place where Fouquet could possibly be at. "Erisdar," She said, gathering Saito's attention at his draconic name. "Scout it out, you can blink out if it's dangerous."

The Chosen Dragon nodded to this, it made sense since he had a reliable escape method.

While the rest of the Academy students prepared themselves, the first player, Saito Hiraga, hovered himself towards the worn down house. With every flap of his wings he drew closer, already he felt like something was wrong, such places like these were death traps in RPGs. But he knew Life of a Dragon Sequel to be challenging yet fair to both veterans and new players alike, so it is unlikely that death awaited him in such an instantaneous moment.

He glanced into the window, taking notice that it is clear of anyone being there. Still, experiencing in RPG gaming spoke caution to him. He could only briefly imagine what he would do if he never got into roleplaying, probably yell back and say everything is okay.

Saito entered the house through the window, as going through the door is easier to make a trap for. He looked around, examining the insides of the building. But it revealed nothing out of the ordinary. But just in case, he observed his surroundings one more time and spotted a rectangular shaped box.

The moment he grasped it, it vanished and he felt like he was holding something.

'Where did… Ah… I forgot that Dragonets have an Inventory now.' He thought to himself. The Dragonet focused on his Inventory and quickly saw in his mind a single slot that holds…

'The Staff of Destruction?' But before he could read its description he heard his master.

"Erisdar! Help!" A voice of Louise screamed from outside.

The Chosen Dragon activated his Blink spell instantly, disappearing and reappearing outside the household only to take a step back in shock at the gigantic earth golem before him.

"Crap…" He couldn't help but voice out loud.

"Fireball!" Louise yelled with her wand pointing a huge creation, an explosion of smoke smashing against the exterior of the golem. But it did little to scratch it.

A fury of fire and wind suddenly surrounded it, but the monster walked through it with little ease. The spellcraft of Kirche and Tabitha proving futile against the solid structure that made the giant earth golem.

'Probably high level, it may look like it took no damage but its health bar would show differently if I could view it. Unfortunately, that never crossed over to this world!' Saito thought as he felt the cooldown for his ability trigger off and he activated it once more, teleporting protectively in front of Louise Valliere.

Tabitha and Kirche were little ways, allowing him to talk to his master.

"I'll distract it, you keep casting those explosions!" Saito said to her while growling here and there.

"But they aren't doing anything, I can't do anything else!" Louise stated with hopelessness in her voice. "I'm a zero…"

He turned around quickly, hovering in the air allowing him to speak face to face to the girl.

"Listen!" He exclaimed, "I don't care what anyone else says about you! The only thing I care about this moment is you, and defeating the golem! You might not be able to cast regular spells, but damn you can cast some mean explosions! Now cast, Louise, cast!"

"Tch, fine!" Louise raised her wand at the golem and yelled with anger, "Fireball!"

Her wand lit up brightly, and something tiny shot out of with incredible speed, impacting against the right shoulder of the golem, blowing it apart and causing it to stagger backward due to the sheer force of the explosion.

Louise had a facial expression of shock, "I-I did that?"

"Yes you did, that was amazing!" Saito yelled, "But don't stop, keep casting! Show it! Show it your potential! Prove them all wrong!" He felt sorta inspiration, but he had to act too! There's only so much Louise could keep using her explosions before her mana ran dry, or Willpower, whatever it's called!

"I can't believe I have to step in for this!" Another voice, eerily familiar, shouted as a cloaked figure came into view on top of the unblown right shoulder.

"Is that Fouquet?" Louise questioned while keeping her wand raised.

"I think so," Saito answered, "What's she doing?"

Fouquet waved her wand while whispering some sort of incantation, then suddenly the Golem's blown up left shoulder started to repair itself!

"Damn, regeneration. We've got to counter that by doing as much damage as possible as fast as possible!" Saito yelled while activating his Blink and appearing near the legs of the golem, his Gandalf runes glowing on his paw as he also used his Fast, Very Fast attribute ability. He moved with inhuman speed, clawing and slashing all across the knees of the earth creature.

"Fireball! Fireball!" Louise continued to chant, each explosion racking harshly against the Golem, suffering great damage but repairing it all the same. "Erisdar it's not working, it's recovering too quickly!"

"We have to defeat Fouquet first then!"

A flame reached upward at the hooded figure, but Fouquet used the Golem's hand to block it with ease.

"This is harder than I thought," Kirche said, strangely from up high.

Tabitha whistled loudly, making Saito glance towards the sound find her in the sky riding on top a blue dragon, well, a kind of blue dragon he assumed. It looked much different than Warcraft or Life of a Dragon's own dragonkin.

Erisdar teleported quickly out of the way of being smashed, appearing next to Louise once again who breathed heavily from the lack of stamina.

"Got anymore plans?" Louise said in between breaths.

"I have the Staff of Destruction, we can try using that on her but we need a distraction."

"You have it, where? I don't see it," The explosive mage replied.

Saito 'clicked' on the metaphysical icon of the Staff of Destruction within his Inventory, causing it appear. "I can't use it, I don't have hands. So you'll have to use it instead." The knowledge of how to use this Rocket Launcher came rushing into his hand, he had little time on why he knew how to use it and more focused on a quick explanation to tell Louise how.

Louise nodded, grasping hold of the item and desperately trying to understand how to use it as her familiar explained in a hasty matter.

"I got it!" Louise said as she held the 'Staff of Destruction' on her shoulder.

"Look out!" Kirche yelled from above on Tabitha's familiar.

"Dang it!" Saito yelled as she tackled Louise out of the way, the Staff of Destruction dropping on the ground, a giant golem's hand smashing on top of him.

"Erisdar!" He heard Louise's scream through the pain he was experiencing.

His vision blurring…

Darkness enveloping him…

'No… I can't… Not this way…' He thought to himself.

" **Chosen Dragon…"**

'Not… Yet…'

" **Death will not have any hold on you this day…"**

He felt his body's pain start to fade… His vision recollecting quickly as the light of the sun came back.

He hadn't died yet… Merely, he was close to it. Something interrupted it.

" **Aid will come forth, you have but one shot, Chosen Dragon… Defeat it… Defeat the Golem, Saito Hiraga..."**

"E-Erisdar?" Louise's voice was heard.

He opened his eyes, his entire dragonet body giving with waves of blue mana, brightly illuminating the surrounding area as Saito stood on all four paws. Mystical currents of magical energy radiating off him.

" **Show the world, your potential!"**

A new skill in his abilities.

Chosen Potential.

All requirements met.

Release it.

In that moment, the energy around him converged together over his draconic body. He roared, and it followed suit devastating shockwave of powerful magic, blowing back everyone before a royal blue beam shot forward and blinded everyone.

* * *

Current Status:

Chosen Dragon Player 1: Saito Hiraga - Alive - Dragonet (Agility) Level 8

Chosen Dragon Player 2: Alex Storm - Alive - Hatchling (Strength) Level 2

Chosen Dragon Player 3: Asuna Godiva - Alive - Dragonet (Strength) Level 5

Chosen Dragon Player 4: Artos Archway - Alive - Dragonet (Agility) Level 7

Chosen Dragon Player 5: Cora Rune - Alive- Dragonet (Intelligence) Level 7

Dragon Slayer Player 6: Celdrahil - Alive - Slayer Level 7

Dragon Catcher Player 7: Rosina - Alive - Catcher Level 8

The Human Kingdom Player 8: Aylmer and Abigail - Alive - Royalty of Human Kingdom

The Fel Empire Player 9: Grom - Alive - King of Fel Empire

Mercenary Player 10: Elizabeth Loyal - Alive - Sorceress Level 2

Observer Map Maker: Map Maker - Alive - The World Editor


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Note** : Wow, a big flow of reviews from the previous chapter! I'm glad you are all enjoying the story as much as I am! Now this chapter I had to rush out a bit due to my going to ComicCon this week.

 **DeathstrokeNorris:** When Kingdom or Empire 'Trains' a unit, they are technically creating one altogether. But one with its own history and livelihood. Think of it as like taking a civilian from off screen and putting it on screen as a soldier instead.

 **Drakefire:** Growth Stage, ACTIVATED!

* * *

Life of a Zero Dragon

Chapter 16: The Butterfly Effect

"Louise…"

A voice echoed through the darkness, her mind blank, not being able to currently recollect what had transpired recently. Louise Francoise only continued to drift in the sea of the void, content in lying within its serene depths.

"Louise…"

Again, the call of her name echoed, who was it that disturbed the serenity that she currently enjoyed? Yet, as it voiced out, a feeling of cold touched her. The motionless terrain of emptiness being filled with color, a brush of pastel greens and blues coursing through with each stroke.

"Wake up, Louise!"

A bright light now shone through, blinding her metaphysical vision before sight once again graced her and her eyes opened to see the ever present blue skies and white fluffy clouds hang overhead.

She turned her head, taking note of a small gray-colored dragon…

"Eris...dar?" Louise questioned with uncertainty as the feeling of drowsiness and numbness beginning leaving her body.

"Thank goodness…" Erisdar trailed off as he sat in relief, "You're okay."

Louise placed a hand on the grass beneath her, using it as support to sit upright. She groaned as her body begrudgingly obeyed her command, she shifted to avoid having her cloak being tugged on by her movements.

"What happened?" Louise asked her familiar, the blinked as her vision finally decided to fully focus and grant her the full view of the surrounding area.

"That's the question of the day isn't it?" Erisdar replied as he glanced around, "We should probably not stay in one place too long, though."

The noble girl began to shakingly stand on her feet, recollecting her balance before beginning to pat out the bits of dirt and grass that stuck to her uniform. She checked herself briefly, noting that outside a few small tears in her clothing it was otherwise in decent condition and that her wand lay on the ground.

Louise picked it up and placed it inside her wand holster. Best not to lose her only self-defense, even with her familiar's protection. The third daughter of the Valliere family looked towards the small Chosen Dragon.

"Where are we then? This is certainly no forest I've ever been in." She asked.

Indeed, the forest was a bit too… Peaceful. There was the sound of gentle raindrops yet it did not rain. The sounds of birds echoed through the woods and the sun shaft from above seemed to be perfectly placed… A bit too perfect.

It unnerved her, that such a place as this could feel so peaceful and natural, yet hold a contrasting artificial tone to it.

"Mmh… I don't know… Until I see more I can't really tell if it's part of the map or not," Erisdar replied to her.

"I don't believe any Halkeginia map displays a place like this," Louise commented, believing her familiar was referring to real geological maps. Then she recalled what he had said earlier. "You're right, and I don't want to stay here for long. We should fine Tabitha and Kirche so we can ride her dragon out of here."

Of course, if Erisdar was big enough she would've ridden him out, but he's still in the dragonet stage as he explained before.

Erisdar nodded in agreement, sniffing the air with his superior sense he stood on all four paws and began walking eastward.

"You know the way?" Louise questioned as the teenager began following her dragon familiar.

"No, but this way smells less of blood."

The noble could only flinch at the thought of what could possibly be in the other direction right now.

* * *

The denizens of Lockvale, which was the village's name that the Dragon Catcher currently resided in, have treated Rosina like they had known her for quite a while. The 6th Player had grown a bit used to their presence in the few days she's been here. But, this same boundless joy and friendly conversation only served to make her homesick. So, with a stout heart and determination, Rosina decided it was time to leave.

It was a harder decision than she thought.

"Good afternoon, Rosina!" Jacob, the suggorate leader of the village and the man that gave her shelter from the frozen landscape, greeted her.

"I see you are in good health," Rosina said in reply. "How's Elisa and William."

Jacob smiled, "Elisa is fine, with the snow storm having past it's been a lot easier for outdoor activities. I can find William and his friends hanging about near the fields."

"It still surprises me that you can grow crops in this weather." Rosina commented, "I know you stated that it's only the Fall, but it is nearing Winter is it not?"

"Living this far north on Albion has its perks, we make the crops that most don't even think of growing. It's why they sell so well, and also counts as the village's main source of income," Jacob explained to her. "But it looks like something is on your mind, how can I help you?"

"I don't know how you ever manage to do that," Rosina said, "But I think it's my time to leave the village. I still seek a way back home."

"Canterbury?" Jacob questioned.

"The same," She dares not press, any questions asked of modern day England would only lead to confusion.

"While I do not know of any town or city by that name, it does sound I'm sure you'll find it in the country someplace," Jacob reassured her.

"I hope so too, did you deal with those nobles?" Rosina changed the subject.

"Yes, happened when you were gone yesterday. They were taken by an escort of guardsmen. But even though we were promised to be left alone, I doubt they'll stay away forever," The man finished.

The Dragon Catcher recalled that she had spent nearly all of yesterday tracking down and destroying the Ice Revenant the caused the more than normal snow storms. The Ice Revenant was a type of ice-elemental from Warcraft III's map, Life of a Dragon Sequel.

She checked her inventory, gently providing the handle of the Item she received, Kelen's Dagger of Escape. This dagger, while not providing any passive bonus, did allow her a weakened version of the Blink ability. The chance of this dropping was astronomically low.

She was amazed the Map Maker hadn't spotted and removed the item considering how broken it was in usage. Rosina assumed if it had been any later version that 2.0, the item would have disappeared.

Rosina brought out a map she had received earlier, bringing it in front of Jacob. "We're here, right?" She said, pointing toward the northernmost region of the floating continent of Albion.

Yes, floating…

It was a hard pill to swallow.

What is this, one of those Japanese cartoon, anime things?

"Yes, if you follow this path it will lead you directly to Carlisle."

That name was identical to another city in England, this was way too convenient and suspicious. The more some names came up, the more she believed she was sent into the past.

But England was not a floating island, Scotland didn't exist, the landmasses were different in shape, and numerous towns and cities cease to be.

This was not Earth, simply because Earth didn't have two moons.

"Alright, but why did you mark the longest route there?" Rosina questioned.

"Ah, well, the region right here has been contested territory for many creatures. Recent news also says something else made its home there. So best to avoid that, Rosina." Jacob explained.

She nodded, "I'll make my way. Wish everyone well, I do not want to worry them."

"You're not going to tell them yourself?"

"No, they will seek to delay me as much as possible."

"That is true, you cannot blame them, someone of your strength is a valuable asset to the village." Jacob nodded in understanding.

"I'll take my leave."

"Brimir guide you, Rosina. The Frost Archer."

* * *

Cora Rune had decided to head northward, since having spoken to Tiffania she had learned quite a lot about the surrounding region. It was hard to grasp that all this time, she had been on a floating continent named Albion. The Fable reference wasn't lost on her if it was that. In any case, the Chosen Dragon decided it was best to find any sort of dragon nest that can provide her a color.

Color, also known as Element, are two interchangeable terms with a different meaning than that of the norm when playing Life of a Dragon.

There were a number of different colors, elements, to choose from for a Chosen Dragon.

Red, the element of flame and light.

Blue, the element of snow and ice.

Orange, the element of air and electricity.

Black, the element of earth and darkness.

Green, the element of grass and poison.

And finally, Nether, the element of chaos.

There were, of course, secret dragons to choose from, but with this strange transition, it'll be nearly impossible to become one of those.

Cora Rune didn't know if any other type of dragon was added in 2.0 or above. Frankly speaking, version 2.0 of Life of a Dragon Sequel wasn't even the latest one. She firmly knew that it was 2.1, but had been too excited to really voice the opinion.

Did the Map Maker host 2.0 because he was trying to test something?

Speaking of which… When she had returned to the orphanage, Cora had come across a note detailing the position of the Blue Dragon Nest. It was also solid proof that somebody was out there, someone also from the game.

Cora Rune reappeared after usage of the Blink ability. Immediately noticing that she stepped onto the snow. It was a good sign, as up ahead revealed a bunch of oddly displace mountains that did not seem native to the surrounding region.

Instinct took over.

The Chosen Dragon player finds her body suddenly as a number of throwing axes flew past her and embedded themselves in the nearby cliffside. Her paws brought up the snow as talons halted her movement. Cora's head whipped around to found the enemy, it stood tall, nearly eight feet, with blue skin covered in white furs holding two throwing axes in each hand.

"Frostbite Troll," Cora Rune stated. "A creep from Life of a Dragon…" She ducked as a few axes flew over her head, "Damn it."

The cooldown for her Blink ability checked out, and she activated it, disappearing and reappearing in a flash of blue lights behind the troll.

Then arrows flew.

Yes, arrows.

Her sight caught the vision of a green-cloaked figure, a brief moment and then she knew exactly who that was.

"The Dragon Catcher? Rosina!?"

* * *

Current Status:

Chosen Dragon Player 1: Saito Hiraga - Alive - Dragonet (Agility) Level 9

Chosen Dragon Player 2: Alex Storm - Alive - Hatchling (Strength) Level 2

Chosen Dragon Player 3: Asuna Godiva - Alive - Dragonet (Strength) Level 5

Chosen Dragon Player 4: Artos Archway - Alive - Dragonet (Agility) Level 7

Chosen Dragon Player 5: Cora Rune - Alive- Dragonet (Intelligence) Level 8

Dragon Slayer Player 6: Celdrahil - Alive - Slayer Level 7

Dragon Catcher Player 7: Rosina - Alive - Catcher Level 9

The Human Kingdom Player 8: Aylmer and Abigail - Alive - Royalty of Human Kingdom

The Fel Empire Player 9: Grom - Alive - King of Fel Empire

Mercenary Player 10: Elizabeth Loyal - Alive - Sorceress Level 2

Observer Map Maker: Map Maker - Alive - The World Editor


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note:** Thanks for the continued support, and sorry for the double cliffhanger haha! Had to rush that last chapter out due to going out of state. Any case, enjoy the chapter! Please note I have released Life of a Dragon Sequel v2.2 a couple weeks ago! Featuring a whole bunch of new content as well as fixes, changes, and the like.

 **Lazy Kaloz:** Shhh, no spoilers. Jk, it's all in this chapter.

* * *

Life of a Zero Dragon

Chapter 17: Moonshine Grove

"The Dragon Catcher? Rosina?!"

A feminine voice, yet draconic in nature, yelled out in surprise as Rosina finished off the Frost-Bite Troll that had attacked the small dragonet earlier before. She checked her mana reserves briefly, noting they're half-empty but slowly regenerating over time. In Life of a Dragon, Mana was also a precious resource early-game but became an obsolete middle to late game as player reserves were just so huge by that point they could cast spells without the consequence of draining themselves.

But, it seemed that something carried over wrongly.

Her mana reserves were regenerating yes, but way too slowly for her current level.

How come her health restored itself normally yet her magical energy replenished at such a god-awful rate?

"You are Rosina… You're a player right?" A voice knocked her out her thoughts, the Dragon Catcher turned to the non-elemental dragonet, her green cloak protecting her from the small snowfall.

"Yeah," She replied normally, inwardly thankful she wasn't speaking in a noble-toned, "I'm Rosina, who are you?"

"Uh… I went by Runescape three-four-two, but you can call me Cora." The Dragonet replied. "Sorry, just, I'm a bit in shock. You're a player correct?"

Rosina nodded, "I was Archer underscore gal. Yes, I know the irony of the situation, don't remind me," The human hero said. She pulled out a letter, "Did you get this as well?"

"Y-Yeah," Cora said, pulling from her lone inventory slot the letter, the item materializing into the world from the paw.

"Thought so," Rosina said, not shocked at the item appearing. After all, she was a Hero too, having an Inventory as well.

By default, Warcraft III heroes had a six-slot inventory space. Which meant they could carry a total of six items of any sort on their person, be they artifacts, potions, or even useless junk they could only carry six in total.

Life of a Dragon Sequel altered this only slightly depending on the hero. Non-elemental dragon hatchlings had their inventory removed for balance, as well as non-elemental dragonets only having one inventory slot instead of the default six. Meanwhile, the humanoid heroes of the map all had six slot inventories, but the first slot was always taken by a unique unremovable item.

Rosina, for example, held Glacion's Bow level 1, now renamed the Catcher Bow level 1, in her first inventory slot and could not remove it. Thankfully, such these first slot unique items were upgradeable to the max of level 3.

"It's nice to meet another player, I had thought I was alone," Cora Rune replied.

The human Hero smiled, "Same, where did you appear on the first day?"

"Near an orphanage, I was found by an elven girl and taken care of. Played with the kids while also secretly grinding some wild creatures that were drawing too close to the place. Should be safe from any danger now, you?" The Chosen Dragon replied with her own question.

"Far up north in the Dragon Catcher starting zone, but instead of Winterfall Town, there was a village native to this continent, Albion," Rosina answered her fellow player. "Seeing how you're a dragonet, I guess leveling works for you too."

"Yeah, I'm level eight at the moment. I was heading here as the letter said there was the Blue Dragon Nest around somewhere. I have a theory, which has only been further proven, that the map's content has been transferred over to this world including all of us."

"All of us? So the other players too?" Rosina questioned.

"Yeah, and guess who was observing our game?"

The Dragon Catcher paused for a brief moment in thought, before having a surprised expression, "The Map Maker… Does that mean he has editor powers or something?"

"Don't know about that, but he is the Map Maker. He probably has a few tricks up his sleeve, and he's a nice guy so he won't leave us in danger easily. Perhaps he changed his tester secret?"

"The one with the dragon of war? But isn't that just a code to get an extra hero for player red?" She said, "Though if I remember correctly, there was an accidental thing he made a change to it in version 1.1."

"Yeah, the cheat that grants him control of all player characters, including vision," Cora stated.

The vision was a term used to imply Player Vision, meaning you could see your allied player's units and constructs as if they were your own.

"Still, we don't know if he fixed that in 2.0 or above." Cora continued, "In any case, care to help me find the Blues? I can blink around sure, but having a strong Hero like the Catcher would help me feel a lot safer."

"Sure," Rosina answered her with a smile, "Can't leave a fellow girl hanging after you become a Blue Dragonet we can grind a few levels before heading to Carlisle, a town native to Albion."

"We might get a few item drops from the trolls too," Cora Rune stated, "I know for a fact that version 2.0 had basic item drop tables for the creeps."

The following hour…

Amongst the high cliffside snow-peaked mountains…

A small blizzard blew endlessly, everything was covered in a large blanket of snow and ice.

The Dragon Catcher, Rosina, and the 5th Chosen Dragon, Cora Rune, climbed the mountains with some difficulty, but not as much as one would expect. As Warcraft III heroes could climb up heights with great ease provided there be a sort of slanted ramp, otherwise the steepness would be too much for even them.

Cora Rune bit into the Frostbite Troll, the level 10 Creep crying out in pain before smashing the blunt side of its ice-enchanted ax against her. The Chosen Dragonet recoiled from the blow, even as her body became sluggish in movement due to frost effects, she could still use her abilities with ease. Core disappeared in a flash of blue light, the Blink ability proving ever useful as she appeared near the Dragon Catcher.

Rosina on the other hand, released a flurry of arrows enhanced with the Cold Arrows ability, increasing the damage output and slowing the troll's own movements to a crawl. Then, with her right hand covered in a glowing green light, she cast a spell onto the dragonet.

The dragonet became enveloped in an ever-moving sphere of green energy, her injuries regenerating themselves as she had the rejuvenation buff for twenty seconds.

Rejuvenating Light, a healing spell that the Catcher held. It was an ability that replaced the Holy Light spell for an overtime healing and also allowing self-usage, not to mention having higher possible levels to increase its strength.

Cora blinked once more, she had maxed the Blink ability levels long ago. After all, it didn't take much to get all spells to max as a non-elemental, they were designed to be achieved early with the exception of Attribute Bonus.

With teeth baring, Cora chomped down harshly onto the troll's hide, blood pooling out as her wings flapped furiously, allowing her to tear out the flesh.

The troll died in a dramatic fashion as it clutched its throat before falling to the side.

The 5th player spits out the flesh, "Can't believe I don't find the taste all too bad… But the cooked meat is still leagues better!"

"Well, you are a dragon now," The 7th player commented, bringing her bow arm to a relaxed state.

Cora Rune glanced towards the giant-sized ice wall that blocked their passage, "This is it, I recognize this wall anywhere. This is the entrance to the Blue Dragon Nest."

"Do you think we can destroy it? We don't know how it transferred over," Rosina questioned.

"Only one way to find it, trying launching a few arrows at it," Cora asked.

"Alright," She replied while lodging an arrow into the bow string and firing it true into the center of the ice wall's mass. It shook, creating a rumbling sound as if it was hit by a great force.

"That's a good sign," The Chosen Dragon commented.

After a few more arrows, the ice wall collapsed all together, the two Heroes covering themselves as a gust of icy wind blew at them and beyond. Then, they entered the cavern that the ice wall had hidden from them.

And reappeared outside of it on the top of the mountain, which surprisingly, was a frozen wasteland, but was still a snowy alp. All around the two, the Blue Dragons flew, rested, and took care of their young and eggs.

"Holy shit," Rosina said, "The dragons got freaking huge in the transfer!" She said, feeling very small all the sudden. "The young adults are the size of a small bus! And the fully grown ones, damn, like an entire house!"

"Wonder if I'll get that big, how huge will Wyrm be?" Cora commented.

"I don't even want to know… Perhaps the size of a castle?" Rosina commented.

The Blue Full Adult Dragon looked to them, noticing their presence, flanked on either side was were blue dragonets of the Warcraft III model, while all around them like ice crystals the size of three grown men.

"Welcome, Chosen Dragon, and greetings to you, young human hero," The Blue adult dragon said with a loud and draconic voice, "This is the Blue Dragon Nest, formed by us after the migration two hundred years ago. I am the new leader, Locanos, elected by the Maker's choice after the original leader's demise at the energies of the defeated demon king."

Cora Rune approached Locanos, "I'm Cora, and this is Rosina. I got a letter saying your location and I wanted to become a blue dragon," She said.

Locanos nodded in acknowledgment, "Very well, the Blue Dragonet holds the element of Ice and Snow within their grasp. The usage of such spellcraft of these elements cost much energy, but they hold many supportive effects for you and your allies, and also negative effects against your foes." He said before releasing a large blue flame with ice-like energies emitting from it at the ground, forming a circle of power, a circular formation of white. "Step into the Circle of Power, and accept the calling."

Cora Rune hovered her way above the circle, "Yes B." She said.

In that instant, she became enveloped in a blizzard of hail and snow, flying a bit higher in the hair, her wings growing stronger as her dull gray scales became a beautiful hue of blue, and her underbelly a common white color.

She had become a Blue Chosen Dragon, and she looked exactly like the blue whelpling from World of Warcraft. As to be expected, all Chosen Dragonets used WoW models.

"Things are going to be different from now on," Cora commented as her transformation completed.

* * *

It had been two hours since both he, Saito Hiraga, and Louise awoke within this forest. Despite his best attempts, he could not recall this area being in Life of a Dragon Sequel. So either it was entirely new for 2.0, or it was a place he never actually went much too anyway. Of course, there was always the possibility that it just seemed impossible to discern due to the transition itself.

But there was one thing he knew, and that was that this biome, this environment, was native to Warcraft III.

However, that was not his most pressing concern.

The constant whining Louise Valliere did for the past ten minutes was.

"Stupid sticks, stupid rocks, stupid trees, stupid forest!" Louise chanted on and on, "Erisdar, I'm exhausted! We've been traveling for hours, I need a break!"

Saito sighed, the best a dragon could that is, he wasn't tired at the least.

"We need to keep moving, I don't want to stay in this forest," Saito stated for the tenth time. "Yes I know you're tired, yes I know your feet ache, and for goodness sake, I know that a noble such as yourself shouldn't be doing this," He commented.

"Well if you know so much then do something about it! It's not like anything poses a threat, I am a Valliere, and I can just use a spell to scare away any animals!" Louise replied in an angry and annoyed tone.

'Not Warcraft creeps you can't,' Saito thought to himself, the nature of Warcraft III monsters doesn't listen to the natural laws of the animal kingdom. The flight instinct simply doesn't exist. It's fight or death through and through.

"Can you just lower your voice?" He asked as kindly as he could.

She wasn't having any of it.

"You don't command me, Erisdar! We may be partners but I'm still your master, I summoned you! I get my say just as much-"

Louise stopped dead cold as she found her vision having a pointed arrowhead aimed right between her eyes, fear overtaking her body as it dared not move from the spot.

Saito Hiraga growled, before silencing himself as he noticed that both he and Louise were surrounded by a group of six purple-skinned, elven, female archers. All but one of which had their arrows latched in their bows, not at him, but only at Louise Valliere.

The apparent leader of the group spoke up as she approached from out of the trees, "The human girl speaks so loud we could have shot her in the dark."

"E-Erisdar…" Louise spoke fearfully, it was a bit strange to see her turn one-eighty degrees in her usually fiery personality.

The first Chosen Dragon looked towards the group leader, "Who are you?"

The leader bowed before rising again, she bows arm relaxed towards him, "I am Ayia Nightstar, most honorable dragon, I along with my sisters have caught sight of you roughly a few moments back."

The one archer with the arrow pointing right at the pink-haired teen's face then said, "What shall we do now, captain?"

"Wait!" Saito exclaimed, catching Ayia's attention swiftly, "Do not harm her, she's my companion."

The elf nodded, motion with her hand which caused all of them to lower their weapons, turning to Louise, "Count yourself blessed, little girl, to find true company with a dragon of Kayla."

The Valliere girl only nodded as she paced back within the protective presence of her familiar, her eyes darting left to right, but Saito didn't pay much heed to where or what exactly she was looking at.

"So this is the Elven Forest?" Saito questioned.

Ayia answered him, "As humans would call it such, but the name bestowed upon it is Moonshine Grove."

"I assume you will lead us to your village?" He questioned once more.

"Yes, the Priestess should be informed of your here being, and you may find food and rest for a youngling like yourself," She answered him, before motioning for her squad to continue forward, "Follow us, honored dragon, and you as well, dragon friend." Ayia finished, pointing at Louise briefly before heading out.

Saito Hiraga gave out a held breath, finally, they were getting to a safe location.

Though he wondered why Louise still looked like she was going to panic at any moment.

* * *

Current Status:

Chosen Dragon Player 1: Saito Hiraga - Alive - Dragonet (Agility) Level 9

Chosen Dragon Player 2: Alex Storm - Alive - Hatchling (Strength) Level 2

Chosen Dragon Player 3: Asuna Godiva - Alive - Dragonet (Strength) Level 5

Chosen Dragon Player 4: Artos Archway - Alive - Dragonet (Agility) Level 7

Chosen Dragon Player 5: Cora Rune - Alive - Blue Dragonet (Intelligence) Level 8

Dragon Slayer Player 6: Celdrahil - Alive - Slayer Level 7

Dragon Catcher Player 7: Rosina - Alive - Catcher Level 10

The Human Kingdom Player 8: Aylmer and Abigail - Alive - Royalty of Human Kingdom

The Fel Empire Player 9: Grom - Alive - King of Fel Empire

Mercenary Player 10: Elizabeth Loyal - Alive - Sorceress Level 2

Observer Map Maker: Map Maker - Alive - The World Editor


	18. Chapter 18

**Author's Note** : Whoa! That was a huge income of reviews from that last chapter! It gladdens my heart to know so many of you enjoy this! Yet also saddens me a bit that this now has more reviews than my main story had had four times as many chapters… At least on Fanfic that is, haha. Anyhow, this marks as my most popular Fic on Fanfiction! I should really update _Be Hybrid_ more often...

Anyhow, if you have any questions feel free to leave a review. Now enjoy the story!

* * *

Life of a Zero Dragon

Chapter 18: Scales of Color

When the mercenary sorceress, Elizabeth, found herself at the entrance of the Bronze Dragon Nest a few days ago, it had been a rough journey. The vast traveling distance it took to get to the nest in the first place would've been astronomically high if not for the aid of a bronze dragon. Still, the unbearable heat was a little uncounted for, luckily magic held its uses and being a Warcraft Hero caused extreme temperatures to feel much more mild in comparison to reality.

The Bronze Dragon Nest seemed to be very active, much more so than it ever did when in-game. There were multiple adult dragons going to and fro the desert towards a southeastern direction, where normally would be the location of the player-named Oasis, the biome where Hydras roam.

Now it was another continuation of an endless desert.

"Ah, excuse me,"

Elizabeth came out of her daze, looking around before facing downward, blinking in surprise at the sight of a small non-elemental dragon hatchling.

"Yes?" She questioned the small creature.

"I, uh, damn, hope this doesn't sound weird as hell-"

"You're a player like me aren't you?" Elizabeth interrupted, it was very easy to tell when the now identified Chosen Dragon player spoke in that way.

"Oh thank god," The hatchling responded, "I'm Alex, you?"

"Elizabeth, a pleasure, you aren't the only player I meet."

"Really?" Alex responded with a thankful tone, "I had a really horrible start when that flash of light happened, got attacked by overzealous elves, saved by the bronze, and stuck in the nest because I'm too weak to fight against the creeps to grow to Dragonet. Thankfully leveling works…"

"Same, thankfully Aylmer gave me enough gold to upgrade my equipment really early on. But that confirms it, though, all the players got sent to this new world."

"So the Kingdom player is here too? That means… Did the entire map because real?" Alex Storm questioned.

"In a nutshell," Elizabeth said, "There are plenty of other things, I'll explain a little later. But first, is there any water here?"

"Yeah, follow me,"

It had been a few days since that occurred, now both Mercenary and Chosen Dragon grouped together into the expanse of the Great Kayla Desert.

Alex Storm, who was the 2nd Player, had with the help of Elizabeth grown into a dragonet at level 5.

He had done so at just the right time.

"It's nice and all that I have a gender again…" Alex began, "But shit did it happened at the wrong time! Crap, watch out!"

"I get it!" Elizabeth ducked, avoiding a rather dangerous cleave from an ax half her size. She rolled forward, the sand below picking up from her moments and being thrown into the air, the wind spinning it around. The human sorceress spun quickly, the creature she was fighting, a nine-foot tall tauren.

Unlike the Warcraft's lore, the tauren, or also casually known as cow men, were merely crudely intelligent creeps similar to that of Warcraft's gnolls. Thus, mostly had a desire to kill anything that wasn't also a tauren.

Elizabeth slammed her fist against the tauren's chest, her mind clicking as she activated one of her Hero Abilities. "Siphon Energy!" She exclaimed.

A burst of green and blue colored magic came forth from her hand, draining the creep of both life and mana. As she back up, a long string of ever draining energy formed between herself and the humanoid monster. But the tauren wasn't going to sit ideally, and it charged forward with its weapon raised, bringing it down onto the player hero.

A gash appeared across her side, blood splurting outward and evaporating on the desert sand. But Elizabeth kept her spell ongoing, the wound that had so recently been formed now beginning to heal over, stitching itself back together as the tauren's own life force was being used to heal the player it had injured.

The non-elemental dragonet came up from behind, hovering and biting down the creep's shoulder.

"Grrroaah!" The tauren roared out in pain as he frailed its arms about wildly in an attempt to toss the dragonet off.

Once the duration of the Siphon Energy spell wore off, the effects dissipated, Elizabeth conjured a lone bird made of blue-hued magic, before sending it at the tauren, the attacking construct exploding against the creep's skin.

This was just the basic attack animation for the Sorceress Mercenary Hero.

The tauren raised his ax, before smashing it forward, throwing the dragonet off itself and stunning the player hero. Unable to move, Alex suffered an attack before the stun ran its course and he blinked again in a flash of blue light.

"Do that Siphon Energy spell again!" Alex exclaimed as he recovered from being hit like that, being a strength attribute allowed him to take much more damage before death, perfect to act as a body shield for a glass cannon mage like the mercenary.

"Can't, it's on cooldown!" Elizabeth responded, "And the Monsoon ability is not effective enough against lone targets, nor does it have the higher level damage yet!"

A brief white aura erupted from Alex Storm before vanishing, this occurred due to his activated of his attribute ability for being a strength dragon, Bulky Bulk.

Damage, Armor, Health Regeneration, all these aspects were increased in the usage of this… For 20 short seconds.

But with a 40 second cooldown, and at the edge of defeating an injured foe, not only will 20 seconds be more than enough, but he could in theory spam this for all its worth multiple times in a day.

A single paw raised and hit the tauren with all his strength.

It promptly exploded into chunks.

Alex Storm blinked, "Guess it was on low health left anyway…"

Elizabeth sighed in relief, "We should head back to the Bronze Nest, no luck today."

The Chosen Dragon nodded in agreement, "Yeah, and I can choose my color too, that should make things a lot easier when I can use spells outside of my attribute ability and blink."

The Mercenary hero arched an eyebrow, "Isn't being a strength-type like the worst combination for a bronze dragon?"

"Game speaking, very much so," Alex replied, "But we aren't having the luxury of knowing where the other nests are to really have a choice."

She sighed, "True, outside of the Bronze Nest and the Human Kingdom, along with the environments pulled with the Kingdom, we have little idea on what's going on."

Alex Storm and Elizabeth began to walk back towards the direction of the Bronze Dragon Nest, "That's why we're looking for the Dragon Knights or the night elves isn't it?"

"Yep," She answered simply, "But let's get your color first."

With that, Alex Storm, the non-elemental dragonet, went to become a Bronze Dragon. His appearance to be that of a World of Warcraft bronze whelpling.

* * *

Artos Archway had headed east, for a long time he had been traveling stopping only to hunt and feed. He had to admit, he was very thankful food didn't taste bad with the new draconic taste buds that came with being a dragon. Otherwise, he probably would not have lasted this long. The Chosen Dragon player had indeed noticed many things were… Off.

Besides being in the game itself, so many things were different.

He used the Blink ability quite often to hasten his travel time, making week's worth of travel in days time.

But with patience, he finally came across another familiar landscape outside of the Enchanted Cave he had started in. Though it was odd that he could still not find the Orangebark Forest, nor did he know much about this land of 'Gallia,' it was pleasant to see Greenleaf Forest once more.

Artos took notice that off in the distance was the Human Kingdom of Kayla.

"So, there is much more than simple creeps and biomes…" He commented on the discovery. "Still, best to avoid the kingdom right now, color first."

Artos hovered his non-elemental body into the depths of the Greenleaf Forest, taking much caution in case the creeps decided to jump out and attack at any given time. After all, the furbolgs were infamous within the map to be the most annoying, and at times dangerous, monsters for early to mid-game heroes.

Of course, he can just Blink away easily right now, but once you obtain a color in Life of a Dragon Sequel you lost the ability to use that short-distance teleport spell. The game's lore making the excuse that the parental magic had faded once the Chosen Dragon had grown up a bit more.

With a disappearing and reappearing act of using said ability, Artos looked around to find a landmark of his current location, spotting the familiar yet hidden pathway through the trees, he journeyed deeper in to reveal a large opening with a giant-sized old tree.

Artos grinned, baring his canines, the Green Dragon Nest had a most unusual protection in which you could only enter through an enchanted tree bridge. That old tree would collapse and form a bridge into the nest, but then restore itself once fully crossed.

As explained, the Chosen Dragon hovered close by and the bridge fell backward to form a bridge across the gaping pit that would've prove rather difficult to hover across without it.

Once crossed, it restored itself, and Artos Archway was greeted by a bus-sized Green Dragon.

"Welcome to the Green Dragon Nest, Chosen Dragon, please make yourself at home!" The NPC stated.

"Is the Mother Green Dragon here?" Artos asked.

"Yes," it (she?) answered. "Mother Green is tending to the dragonets up in the higher parts of the nest."

"Thank you," He replied, making his way up the pathway, he spotted that the nest still had its eerie similarities to the in-game version, even the ever-glowing purple dragon NPC that guarded the Healing Hays zealously.

He shook his head, "Now I shall get my color, even if its Green its better than nothing." He said to himself, making his way towards the position of the Mother Green Dragon.

Where he will become a Green Dragon, the user of the poison and healing.

* * *

A small pause was taken for Asuna Godiva to stare and fully comprehend what the Water Spirit of the Lake was actually concerned about.

The Southern Outland Portal.

"Ah… Well… That is an issue I guess?" She said to herself.

Asuna frowned, attempting to remember what exactly the Southern Outland Portal actually could do. There was only one thing she could recall, and that was it transported things to and fro the other part of Outland.

'But what's in that other part of Outland?' The 3rd Player thought in question, metaphorically banging her head for an answer she could remember.

'It's not like I know that much! I've only played this map a few times to know the basics! Outside of that, I'm a complete noob!' Asuna continued her line of thought, inwardly panicking at the ramifications of her novice skill level.

The Chosen Dragon took in a deep breath, she was level 5, barely edging to 6. What were the creep levels of South Outland? Well, there were the furthest away from the Enchanted Cave on the map, so they had to be higher level than she was for sure, but by how much?

Taking a small moment to observe the circular violet glowing portal, she took notice the terrain around it in a small radius had changed from the native plant life and grasses to a rough, reddish rock and bizarre pink-hued and oddly shaped flowers.

"Screw it, I have blink, I have it maxed, if something goes wrong I can just teleport out," She said, mustering up the courage and she looked at the portal, then ran towards it…

Screaming.

"Ahhhhhhhh!" She yelled only for her to brace herself as her vision was engulfed in light.

Only to see a giant, god-forsaken landscape. A world devastated, with only red dirt and rock on the floor, floating empty plateaus in the sky, and many deformed plant and formations.

Oh, and a fel stalker three to four times her size.

"Fuck!" Asuna's first reaction as it spotted her, charging at the young female dragonet for an easy meal.

The Blink Ability activated, and she vanished right before the fel stalker pierced the dragonet with two spear-like tendrils.

Only to almost making herself fall deep down into the dark abyss of no return, only darkness greeting her as she stared down what almost was her doom.

"Close one…" She said reeling back and taking a few breaths from the fear that overtook her.

The fel stalker turned around to face her, Asuna's draconic instincts caused her to growl menacing at the creep, her inner human thoughts shocked at her display of threat.

That was when a huge shadow enveloped them, and there landed the biggest creature Asuna had ever layed eyes on. It took two stories high, with black scales and many meter long wingspan, the earth answered its call and the ground below broke apart, swallowing the fel stalker whole and closing, sealing it in a tomb.

A golden light signaled her leveling up, but it was unimportant as of now.

"I-I-I…" Asuna was stolen of words.

The large Black Dragon turned his head towards her, "I sensed your arrival little Chosen Dragon, but you have not the strength to challenge these beasts. Come, I will guide you safely to the Nether Dragon Nest I teach."

'I was not ready for today…' Was Asuna's thoughts, 'But… I can become a Nether Dragon so that's something really, really good for me. Thank Kami.'

With the safety of Uncle Black Dragon, the leader of the Black Dragons in Life of a Dragon Sequel who had been protecting the Nether Dragon Nest and guiding them, now leading the young dragonet girl. Asuna Godiva followed him into the Nether Dragon Nest, these creatures, however, were more a cross of a pure energy being and a dragon. Not to be mistaken for the Nether counterparts of World of Warcraft, their appearance were completely different.

"Uncle Black..." Asuna began, a little wary of the huge leader dragon.

"You wish to choose the color of your scales?" He responded knowingly.

"Y-Yes, can I become Nether?"

"Why of course, though you will be the first of Kayla's Chosen Dragons, such a step will strengthen the ties for the new dragons."

With that said, Asuna became one of both energy and dragon, with the elements of chaos.

* * *

Current Status:

Chosen Dragon Player 1: Saito Hiraga - Alive - Dragonet (Agility) Level 9

Chosen Dragon Player 2: Alex Storm - Alive - Bronze Dragonet (Strength) Level 6

Chosen Dragon Player 3: Asuna Godiva - Alive - Nether Dragonet (Strength) Level 6

Chosen Dragon Player 4: Artos Archway - Alive - Green Dragonet (Agility) Level 7

Chosen Dragon Player 5: Cora Rune - Alive - Blue Dragonet (Intelligence) Level 8

Dragon Slayer Player 6: Celdrahil - Alive - Slayer Level 7

Dragon Catcher Player 7: Rosina - Alive - Catcher Level 10

The Human Kingdom Player 8: Aylmer and Abigail - Alive - Royalty of Human Kingdom

The Fel Empire Player 9: Grom - Alive - King of Fel Empire

Mercenary Player 10: Elizabeth Loyal - Alive - Sorceress Level 7

Observer Map Maker: Map Maker - Alive - The World Editor


	19. Chapter 19

**Author's Note** : Finally have all the dragons, with the exception of Saito, have their colors! Not to mention, player interactions are starting which will lead to greater story fluidity over the upcoming chapters. Hooray Character Development. Once again, I thank all my readers, now please enjoy the chapter!

 **icapppas** : Don't worry, Derflinger will not be forgotten. He will be introduced into the story at a later point.

* * *

Life of a Zero Dragon

Chapter 19: Xaria, Goddess of the Elves

The Map Maker, creator of Life of a Dragon Sequel, the one who is worshiped and exalted by the non-player characters within the Kingdom of Kayla as their god, The Maker. His body slumped with exhaustion by his mental and physical state, yet if one would look, he would appear regal and divine, such is that invisible aura that leaks off of his form.

The World Editor of Warcraft 3 floated aimlessly, ready to do the Map Maker's bidding when he decided to work on whatever function it held.

But, he stood not alone.

" _Oh, divine creator, the one who had created the realm of Kayla and all its inhabitants, the one known as the Maker. How do thou feel?"_

The Map Maker stood at attention, his eyes darting towards the direction of the voice he had just heard, for it came not from the World Editor.

"Who goes there?" He questioned the endless white void.

His eyes narrowed, spotting a simmering disturbance in the air a few meters away. Then, the oddity formed into the figure of a Night Elf clad in a long white dress, her beauty, and grace unequal by mortal eyes.

But the Map Maker stood there unflinching, for while he looked human, his presence is that of a stronger state of existence. Though even if he himself did not know it, he was now of divine origin.

"Who are you?" The Maker asked the elf.

" _I'm hurt,"_ She said with a sarcastic, yet perfectly toned voice, _"It is I, Xaria, Goddess of the Elven children that roam the world of your making. The beings hued in amethyst, living in the confines of moonshine grove and also the isle of forgotten ruins and magic."_

"Xaria…" He trailed off.

Xaria, Goddess of the Elves within the world of Kayla, according to the Lore that he created, she is a minor goddess weaker than the Maker and his Testers. Ages past, she tried to become his equal by the creation of the Amulet of Xaria, an Artifact with immense bonuses to one's abilities. However, even with such an item in hand, he outclassed her. As such, she gave it to the elves in Kayla to protect them against terrifying threats.

Due to that, they barely survived the first invasion of Utheran…

The Map Maker shook his head.

The Goddess smirked teasingly, _"You are behaving off, Maker, have your Testers been teasing you again?"_

"No," He replied, deciding to roll with it for now, "Have you not noticed the changes to the world I created?"

Her smirk dropped, _"That is why I have come here, though it is a shock to see you having changed as well, I can still identify your aura anywhere. Strangely, this incident occurred when the Chosen Dragons were just hatched."_

"I'm aware, but I do believe they are innocent of being the cause of this… Transition." The Maker said, "In fact, I do believe one of them has just recently entered the domain of your children?"

The Goddess brushed her long hair aside, _"Why yes, the little dragonet sure gave them quite a surprise, but that the Chosen Dragon also brought that peculiar girl as well has given me puzzled."_

"And why is that?" He questioned, she was one of his suspects but he doubts the girl, Louise, could manage such an impossible feat on her lonesome.

Something or someone helped her, and that someone might have wanted to use her summoning ritual to get to something else.

A lot of theories and questions, little answers.

" _Her mana, it is like a void, a sea of emptiness, yet she holds it in overwhelming quantity."_ She answers.

"Hmm… I'll keep an eye on her and the Chosen Dragon she's with, in the meantime, I will see if I can rectify many of the changes that occurred."

" _Well I know you won't forcibly change the world, you care too much for your creations."_

"You're one to talk, Xaria," He countered to her own love of the elves.

She laughed, _"Still… We are not the only gods of this new realm."_

The Map Maker perked, then narrowed his eyes.

"Do tell…"

* * *

The blade pummel was gripped tightly as Aylmer could feel the very tension residing in the air, the horse he rode breathing heavily as it carried the rider. Behind the King of the Kayla Kingdom followed five knights, a dozen footmen and archers, and two priests.

Knights were the primary cavalry of the Human Kingdom, having the health to withstand incredible blows. Covered head to toe, along with their horse, in armor, dyed in the Kingdom's pink colors.

Footmen were the basic swordsmen soldiers of the Kingdom, the backbone of the army.

Archers, well, they were trained bowmen, like the footmen, they were covered in plated armor. The quivers on their backs vibrated with every step they took as their bows were equipped to their left hands.

Priests, on the other hand, supported spellcasters, the medics of the Kingdom.

It was this force, quite sizable by Warcraft standards, that were heading towards the smoke pillars that stood the city of Polarvale. This greenhorn group hadn't experienced any combat outside their training, but for these units, they fought with just as much discipline and strength as any veteran soldier of the Kingdom. Such was the nature of their game of origin, Warcraft III.

Still, Aylmer felt anxious. This was his first upcoming battle in his entire life, and although he knew himself to be a Hero-type thanks to the mercenary, Elizabeth, he could help but think that there were a plenty of content he didn't know in Life of a Dragon.

He had known that there were demons, though very weak, at Polarvale before, but what had changed? Could they still be easy prey? Or did the Map Maker give them power and strength likened to bosses of RPGs?

He shook his head, such thoughts will only bring about ruin. No need to tempt Murphy's Law.

A Knight rode towards the group, his horse breathing heavily, "My liege, the demons have been identified as Mistresses of Pain, I could find no survivors of the populace outside of the ones reported to have retreated to the capital!" The Knight reported.

"Good work, walk back towards the capital and recover. Your mount looks too exhausted for combat." Aylmer said, eyeing the mounted beast that was beginning to recollect it's breath.

"Yeah," the Knight said, patting the side of the horse's neck, "Had to press him hard to escape when the demons spotted us. I'll be sure to give him a reward when we make it back."

"Dismissed," Aylmer said, the Knight saluting before heading off towards the capital. The King of the Human Kingdom hummed in thought, "Damn, Mistress of Pain, and multiple ones at that?"

Aylmer looked back to his troops, he didn't have the technology upgrades nor the manpower to deal with multiple high-level creeps, especially those of demon-kind and their deadly spells.

He decided to play it safe, if he recalls, the demons never left Polarvale before.

Plus, he didn't want to risk the chance of being the first to test the altar.

Death is not something to mess with.

"Alright troops, I want an encampment a fair distance away from the entrance to Polarvale! Destroy the local rock golems and use the natural boulders as walls for the camp! Let's get to it!" Aylmer exclaimed an order.

They all snapped to attention.

"Yes, my liege!"

Sometimes it was pretty cool to be King.

* * *

The depths of Moonshine Grove, a forested landscape, where the foliage would reach to the kneecaps of any traversing man. The sky above, barely visible through the thick treetops above and the non-silent sounds of birds, animals, and the whistling winds through the leaves made an almost musical piece. This was the very place in which an elven town lay hidden, housing its residents in the protective natural barrier that made the forest.

This was also where our two protagonists, Chosen Dragon Saito Hiraga, and noble mage Louise Valliere, were escorted towards.

The Elven Town.

Despite the beautiful, naturally carved houses into the trees around them, where the rainwater dripped down and fed the vegetation with serene grace, and a wondrous and awe inspiring well with glowing blue mystic waters vibrating with every drop that fell from above, Louise Françoise le blanc de la Vallière was on the edge of panicking.

Not the best of moments for the human teenager mage.

Louise's hand was gripping her wand so tightly, it was shaking, just the barest of reasoning keeping the girl from using whatever magic she had for self-preservation due to nearly overwhelming fear.

Fortunately, the nearby presence of Erisdar gave her some comfort, she could say with absolute conviction that her familiar would choose her over the elves in a heartbeat should they prove hostile.

Once the elven archers had led her inside a building and onto the second level where a guest room of some description had been prepared, the moment the door closed she let out some air she had been holding in.

"Brimir, Erisdar! We're surrounded by elves!" Louise exclaimed towards her familiar who gave her a confused expression at her reaction.

"What's so bad about that?" Erisdar replied to her, "They won't hurt us-"

"Hurt us? Hurt us? They are an enemy to mankind! They took the holy land and not even Brimir at his full power could defeat them! They're incredibly powerful and hate all humans! Did you not see those arrows pointed at me, familiar? I could have died, they will kill us if we stay here any longer!" She started to vent out her mixed emotions.

"Calm down Louise," Erisdar said, starting to get some information on Human Elven Relationships were in Halkeginia.

"No, I'm not going to calm down! We got to get out of here!" Louise said it to the Chosen Dragonet.

"Alright, alright, we'll have one of the elves escort us out of Moonshine Grove-"

Louise exploded, "Brimir, no! I'll rather be alone in the forest again without a horse than be with one of the elves!"

Erisdar took a deep breath, reigning in his annoyance with his 'master', "Once we figure out where we are, then we will leave. Just think for a moment alright, you're a noble, so act like it!" He exclaimed that last part.

Louise shut her mouth for a quick moment, recollecting her bearings and mumbled a few 'Rule of Steel' lines to herself. "You're right… I need to remain calm, collected, and dignified."

"That's the Louise I know," Erisdar said, "Now listen, they didn't harm you cause I'm with you, remember? Elves really like dragons, so as long as you remain by my side, they won't so much as touch you!" He stated with assurance.

The pink-haired girl nodded, "Well… You are my familiar, which means you have to protect me!"

"Hey, that's what I've been doing right?" Erisdar replied, "Now relax, I'll tell them not to disturb us. It's been a long day hasn't it?"

"Yes…" She trailed off, collapsing on the bed with her cloak hanging towards the side. "I am a bit tired… But I don't want any of them so much as entering this room, alright?"

"I said I'll tell them, sheesh, such a commanding master I got," He joked.

"Hmph, what an unconcerned familiar I have," She replied with a small smile.

The door knocked twice.

Louise glanced at the doorway, sitting back upright instantly. The Chosen Dragon player hovered over and pushed the door open, he looked up at the figure.

He could tell instantly, for some strange reason, that this being in front of him was a Hero, a Warcraft 3 Hero. The Priestess, except without the tiger mount.

She looked down at him, "Xaria's blessing be upon you, Chosen Dragon."

Erisdar hastily replied, "You don't mind if we take this outside the room? My partner has a little fear of being with… Unknown people," He said.

"I see no problem with that, I will inform them not to disturb your human companion," The Priestess said, stepping out of the way as Erisdar, or Saito Hiraga, floated out.

He glanced back at Louise, who looked at him with a concerned expression.

"Don't worry Louise, I'll be right back in a pinch!" He said.

* * *

Current Status:

Chosen Dragon Player 1: Saito Hiraga - Alive - Dragonet (Agility) Level 9

Chosen Dragon Player 2: Alex Storm - Alive - Bronze Dragonet (Strength) Level 6

Chosen Dragon Player 3: Asuna Godiva - Alive - Nether Dragonet (Strength) Level 6

Chosen Dragon Player 4: Artos Archway - Alive - Green Dragonet (Agility) Level 7

Chosen Dragon Player 5: Cora Rune - Alive - Blue Dragonet (Intelligence) Level 8

Dragon Slayer Player 6: Celdrahil - Alive - Slayer Level 7

Dragon Catcher Player 7: Rosina - Alive - Catcher Level 10

The Human Kingdom Player 8: Aylmer and Abigail - Alive - King Level 3, Princess Level [Error]

The Fel Empire Player 9: Grom - Alive - King of Fel Empire

Mercenary Player 10: Elizabeth Loyal - Alive - Sorceress Level 7

Observer Map Maker: Map Maker - Alive - The World Editor


	20. Chapter 20

**Author's Note:** Wow… We're already at chapter 20! Hard to believe from my point of view I started writing this story yesterday or something! Anyhow, Life of a Dragon Sequel v2.3 is a very, big update, and will take a lot more time than the other ones. If you guys (who play my map) want to know more, Life of a Dragon Sequel has a Hiveworkshop page that's a google away. You can contact me easily there. (Or PM on Fanfiction works too.)

Also, if guys so wished, I can leave a review which player (Outside of Saito and Louise) you want to see more of in the story.

Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Life of a Zero Dragon

Chapter 20: Scattered yet Grouped

The Mercenary and the Chosen Dragon, Elizabeth and Alex, found themselves traversing across the desert terrain in search for the Dragon Knight city that should have lain eastward of both Desert City and the Bronze Dragon Nest. However, while they journeyed, they came across a small oasis with a glowing fountain, which while it was new to the version of Life of a Dragon Sequel, any Warcraft 3 player would recognize a Fountain of Life anywhere.

A steep cliff hangs overhead, with a waterfall pouring down from it into the oasis, filling it with fresh, cool water and keeping it from being contaminated by the sands around it. A few trees and plantlike grew around the rejuvenating place, signaling it's tranquility and restful atmosphere.

But as they made their way towards it for some rest and recovery, they came upon a shocking discovery.

A girl, the size of a pre-teen, lain sleeping against a strange looking blue dragon. Her blue hair such a discrepancy with the yellow and orange background of the Great Kayla Desert.

The blue dragon raised its head, looking towards their direction, it's eye-catching Alex Storm's draconic figure, causing the young drake to mumble happily in exhaustion.

The Chosen Dragon and the Sorceress made their way toward ls them with due haste, for while there were no creeps around, the nature of respawning could prove devastating at times.

The human hero checked on the young girl, raising the assumed child's head to see that she was resting from exhaustion, not from any visible injuries, that fact that she doesn't have any by some miracle is astonishing.

"Hey, wake up, you're near the oasis yet you didn't head there?" Elizabeth questioned as she shook the girl, but got little to no response. She frowned, and looking around to see a long wooden staff of some description being held in the kid's arms.

"... Mana exhaustion?" It was one of the cruel ways of how mana works, in Warcraft you could continue normally even if you were empty of mana, but the Transition affected it in some way, causing people to become exhausted if their mana hit a very low point.

Luckily, as a Hero, and also an Intelligent-based one at that, Elizabeth had little worries in using spells in bulk. But they had learned the fact when Alex was using his own spells, combined with the fact that Strength Heroes have the lowest mana amount, it was inevitable with the initial way he used it.

She had never seen him curse the act of Balancing the map until then, but corrected himself when they thought out how it was probably not the Map Maker's fault.

Elizabeth was pretty sure none of this was the Map Maker's fault, after all, he was only human.

Thankfully, Elizabeth had the spell, Drain Energy.

Not something one would be thankful for when they first glance at the title of such a spell.

While normally used against enemies to drain life and mana, it can also transfer mana from herself to another, a particular fact that helped Alex quite a bit.

Arcane energy hued in blue colors hummed within Elizabeth's palms, her hand stretched out towards the unconscious child, a line of that same energy traveling along a straight path, waving slightly as the mana traveled within it. It entered the blue-haired girl, her form being surrounded by a small outer aura the sky's hue.

Elizabeth cut off the spell before her own reserves dwindled a little too low.

The child groaned in exhaustion before opening her eyes, and beautiful set of baby blue eyes looking towards the Sorceress above her. She attempted to move her body, which responded slowly to her commands.

"Easy now, you suffered from mana exhaustion. You don't mind if you'll give companion permission to bring you to the nearby oasis?" Elizabeth asked her.

The blue-haired human glanced towards the odd blue dragon, "Let them," She said briefly.

Elizabeth helped lift the girl on her back, Alex and the blue dragon following behind as she took a few steps and began walking towards the Oasis. The Chosen Dragon making sure to put the girl's staff into his Inventory, she didn't see him do it.

"What's your name?" Elizabeth asked her.

The girl remained silent for a few seconds before answering, "Tabitha."

"That's a beautiful name," She complimented, "I'm Elizabeth, and my friend behind us is Alex."

"Teleport?" Tabitha questioned.

"Teleport?" Elizabeth blinked at the word suddenly coming up, "I'm afraid you'll have to be clearer. But we can talk much more when we reach the Oasis in a few steps."

"Hey! Does your dragon talk?" Alex blurted out, "She doesn't look like any other dragons so I'm just asking…"

Tabitha glanced back to the Chosen Dragon, her face showing a slight reaction of shock before its monotoned expression returned. She brought her head over to Elizabeth's shoulder again, asking…

"Nature Dragon?" She said to confirm Alex's species.

"Not even close," Elizabeth said, believing she meant the Green Dragons, "He's a Chosen Dragon, rather annoying one to at that."

"I'm right here!" Alex retorted.

"Human-like," The blue haired Mage said.

"It's complicated," The Mercenary replied.

It only left more questions for Tabitha.

* * *

The southern outland is a very dangerous place, its monsters, also known as creeps, were very precise in their spellcraft of using their own opponent's magical energy against them. With their capabilities of devouring magic, a dragonet had to be very cautious not to draw in too many at a time, least they find themselves becoming the hunted.

Asuna Godiva was wishing right now that turn-based combat was a thing in this world.

The Chosen Nether Dragonet pushed her own energy-like wings to move her suddenly, dodging two devastating pincers that threatened to tear through her body. The creeps she faced against was a Fel Ravager, an otherworldly monstrosity that was three times Asuna's size.

And she was nearly as big as a full grown human.

"Shit!" Asuna yelled out as a ray of blue mana smashed against her, the energy coursing through her body, connecting to the female dragon's own mana, before causing the magical energy to combust within her.

A large amount of pain threw Asuna's concentration off course, vision blurred as the spell of the Fel Ravager took effect only for a brief moment.

Just as it came, the pain dissipated as her Warcraft Hero endurance returned. Asuna checked her mana reserves, finding them depleted into only a small drop remaining. With it came exhaustion, her situation was dire as her body wavered from keeping herself hovering and collapsing to the ground.

'To be feasted on…' The thought came to the human girl trapped in a Chosen Dragon's body.

The Fel Ravager gave her no quarter, its emotions didn't exist as its only purpose was to be a monster for Players to kill and exploit the experience or item drops gained from its demise. But, even if that was the case, as a living creature it would still have sought to devour the female dragon for a meal.

Asuna activated the Bulky Bulk ability for the second time, it only lasted twenty seconds with a forty-second cooldown. However, seconds were considered a lifetime in the midst of a battle. Even if this were a game, a real-time fight in Warcraft 3 was fast action and quick decision making, especially in a battle between two player heroes.

She thanked the Map Maker that attribute abilities like Bulky Bulk had no mana consumption to activate its effects. Asuna felt a soothing warmth come over her wounds as they very slowly began knitting themselves together, her muscles felt toned and less stressed and the energy that made the dragon's body condensed itself into a tougher, denser armor.

In a nutshell, her health regeneration, damage output, and armor rating all increased.

Unfortunately, it didn't work on increasing any mana-related aspects.

Asuna Godiva body thrust forward, a ball of chaotic energy colored in the dark violet hues shooting forth in a small line, striking the Fel Ravager's body. The energy burst outward in a tiny explosion, but it wasn't one of fire or smoke, but rather of magic.

This action didn't consume mana, as it was using the naturally formed essence of a Nether Dragon's being. It was that Warcraft 3's hero default range attack, as a Nether Dragon in Life of a Dragon Sequel is a ranged hero.

She fired three more of these lined missiles before the Fel Ravager caught up to her position, it's grotesque mouth opening to begin devouring her magical energy once more.

But it was interrupted by a flash of light between them, the creep being blasted back by the by-product of this event. While Asuna avoided being hit herself by the fortune of taking cover behind a large boulder.

The Chosen Dragon glanced towards the light's direction as it dimmed down to reveal a grown red-headed teenager with a rather large bust. But the female dragonet paid little heed to that, and instead felt the comfort of knowing there were humans besides herself… Well, besides her mental self that is.

Of course, if the foreign girl was eaten alive by the Fel Ravager, Asuna would be alone once more.

Outside of the nearby Nether Dragon Nest and Uncle Black that is.

Oh, and the Fel Orc encampment… But… Well, better left unsaid.

Asuna Godiva quickly flew her way over towards the girl, hovering above her body and shooting forth a few more bolts of nether energy that beat back the Fel Ravager, frustrated and angry towards its prey, into a nearby abyss.

It stumbled, frantically trying to stop itself, but the kinetic force behind the Nether Dragon's attacks forced it over the edge, leading to its demise… When it hits the bottom at all that is.

A golden light encompassed Asuna's form for a short moment, signifying the gaining of a level.

"Huh… Neat," Asuna commented before turning her attention towards the unconscious individual lying in the harsh, dry, red dirt of Southern Outland.

She sat next to the rather tanned human women, sighing in a release of tension from the recent battle as the adrenaline faded from her system.

"So… Who are you…" Asuna trailed off while looking at the face of her newest, force-to-be, companion.

Just another crazy day as a Chosen Dragon.

* * *

Moonshine Grove was perhaps the largest forested environment in Life of a Dragon Sequel, Saito Hiraga didn't know this fact due to not having played the map in such a large period of time. However, now he could agree with anyone that said such a thing given his new personal experiences in the landscape.

Saito Hiraga, non-elemental Chosen Dragon, hovered slowly behind the Elven leader of Moonshine Grove's resident elf civilization. The discussion threatened to fly mostly over his head, but he attempted to listen as closely as he could to the lady's words.

She was the first individual that wasn't Louise or the mysterious voice to titled him as a Chosen Dragon, he wanted to be answered, but he had to be careful in his wording and the amount of hospitality given to him.

He knew that Louise had a large amount of fear, at least now he did, for the elven race. The longer he was away from her, the more she would grow anxious, and fear is a powerful motivator for dangerous actions. Every literature work on Earth, virtual or not, agreed on this fact.

'I sure am thinking awfully hard about this,' Saito thought to himself.

"We're here," The elven leader, priestess of Xaria, said. She turned to the Chosen Dragon and continued, "Forgive me, I am Arya Starsong, High Priestess of Xaria and leader of the community here."

"I'm Saito, but you may call me Erisdar as my partner does." The player responded to the NPC.

He glanced around, they were just a little wayward from the Moon Well, a mystical pool of energy that can restore allied Health and Mana at its own discretion. Saito took notice is a large tree-like construct, an ent, ancient, or also known as the flight point master that had itself planted firmly near a white runic circle of power that glowed dimly in a gray color.

'Do Flight Points work anymore?' He questioned curiously, not that he reached the requirements to use it yet.

"For the Chosen Dragons to hatch would mean the world will be facing peril soon," Arya began, "It perhaps has to do with the shifting realm, I've communed with Xaria only briefly, it has gone difficult to do so with this change that has occurred."

Saito looked towards the night elf, "Oh? What has Xaria said to you?" He said, taking note that the goddess of the elves might actually exist now.

Well, shit, if a goddess now exists, that means the lore of Life of a Dragon Sequel might actually have occurred now. Well, at least he doesn't have to worry about facing off a kill-all-the-dragons win condition like in the original map.

"It was… Difficult," she started, "to piece together the words, but the world has changed. Moonshine Grove's entire region had been transported into a place known as Germania. I've sent a few scouts outward, and they returned with information about humans different than those of Kayla."

Kayla, it was the name of both the world and the continent that Life of a Dragon Sequel takes place in.

"I'm aware, I was hatched within the nearby nation of Tristan. My partner joined me and we've dealt with some situations, including Orangebark Forest which has also been misplaced," Saito explained.

Arya nodded, "So, it seems numerous regions of Kayla have been moved about in this new realm."

"Halkeginia," Saito gave the name, "That's what the locals call this continent, or the world, I've yet to gain knowledge by which they mean."

"Is your human companion one of these Halkeginia humans? I do not know of any Kayla residents with such unique features."

'She must mean the pink hair, yeah, but it looks quite fitting on Louise compared to your purple shades, Arya,' He thought to himself.

"Yes," Saito answered. "Also, not to be offensive or anything, but these Halkeginia humans might have their own set of elves in which they have large amounts of hostility towards."

"That would explain quite some reactions on our end," Arya Starsong replied. "Thank you for this information, do you require assistance in anything as repayment, Chosen Dragon?"

"Mmh…" Saito remained thoughtful for a few moments, "Yeah, a few favors."

"Name them, Erisdar."

"Can you have your elves make a safe pathway from creeps out of Moonshine Grove?"

"Easily done."

"Do you have any items you're willing to part with? It seems Louise, my partner, can use the items the same as we can. And I'll appreciate having any sort of advantage myself over monsters or other bad things."

Arya paused, before answering, "We do not have anything of value that can support you, however, we can leave any items or tomes left behind by the creeps on your way out after we clear the path."

"Thank you, I hope luck is on my side, haha," He laughed to brighten the mood. "I best get back to Louise, she's probably concerned."

"A concerned companion is a trustworthy one, you have quite a good friend, Chosen Dragon."

"Yeah, I do… But she really needs to get more confidence!"

With that, the plan is set into motion, and Saito Hiraga returns to his master, who had slept soundly in the bed… Pardoning the fact she had barricaded the door, having Saito needing to use Blink to enter it.

But it's progress.

* * *

Current Status: (Forgot to update Dragon Levels Last time)

Chosen Dragon Player 1: Saito Hiraga - Alive - Dragonet (Agility) Level 10

Chosen Dragon Player 2: Alex Storm - Alive - Bronze Dragonet (Strength) Level 8

Chosen Dragon Player 3: Asuna Godiva - Alive - Nether Dragonet (Strength) Level 10

Chosen Dragon Player 4: Artos Archway - Alive - Green Dragonet (Agility) Level 7

Chosen Dragon Player 5: Cora Rune - Alive - Blue Dragonet (Intelligence) Level 8

Dragon Slayer Player 6: Celdrahil - Alive - Slayer Level 7

Dragon Catcher Player 7: Rosina - Alive - Catcher Level 10

The Human Kingdom Player 8: Aylmer and Abigail - Alive - King Level 3, Princess Level [Error]

The Fel Empire Player 9: Grom - Alive - King of Fel Empire Level 4

Mercenary Player 10: Elizabeth Loyal - Alive - Sorceress Level 7

Observer Map Maker: Map Maker - Alive - The World Editor


	21. Chapter 21

**Author's Note:** Thank you, everyone, for the support you've given me, I hope you all continue to enjoy Life of a Zero Dragon to its fullest.

Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Life of a Zero Dragon

Chapter 21: Depths of Lore

Louise Valliere walked alongside Erisdar through the elven village… Town… City? She didn't really know how the elves would classify this place in accordance with human terms. She would call it somewhere in between a village becoming a town. Regardless, Louise was on edge for any hostilities from the elves around her, her figure quite close to her familiar's side as her mind subconsciously sought comfort from the fear.

But, there were a few questions in her mind that plagued her thoughts.

"Louise, I need to talk to these guards real quick, you stay right here. The elves won't hurt you, I do not believe they are the same elves that humankind has been enemies with," Erisdar said to her.

"Alright…" She trailed off, the Rule of Steel would prevent her from panicking in face of the elves, whether they were the same or not didn't matter.

As Erisdar hovered over to discuss with the elven scouts, another elf walked up to Louise.

She gulped, the elf that went to meet her was dressed in elegant armor, the leather sewn and padded on the woman was of fine craftsmanship, and the amulet carried around her neck made Louise very, very cautious. It was quite odd that she would be more wary of the jewelry the elf wore than the presence of two pointy ears.

"I'll be brief, human partner of Erisdar," The lady spoke without a hint of malice or hatred, letting Louise lower her guard slightly around her.

"Yes?" Louise questioned while barely maintaining her composure.

"Do you know the implications of what exactly Erisdar is?" She questioned in return.

What? The implications? Did the elf mean did she know what Erisdar is?

"He's a dragon, a Chosen Dragon," Louise answered with uncertainty.

"And you realize what a Chosen Dragon is?" Once again, an odd question.

But it confused the girl, "Explain," Louise said. "Please."

"Naive child," The woman said. "Very well, I will illuminate your ignorance."

Louise frowned at the insult but remained silent.

"A Chosen Dragon is not the norm, they indicate a coming storm for which they are hatched into the world to prevent and safeguard Kayla from destruction. Chosen Dragons only number in five, a single clutch that goes through a cycle of rebirth only after all five have died from the curse of mortality."

"A Chosen Dragon does not age like the other dragons, they grow quickly, their strength, wisdom, and power increasing boundlessly in a remarkably short time. A Chosen Dragon that is a dragonet can slay beast taller than man, a young adult can massacre whole squads, adults, entire armies… Do you now realize, human child?"

"They can become any other dragon by choice, they can wield items of great power whether or not made for humanoids, they have the potential to become stronger than demi-gods. That's their greatest strength, child, the limitless potential."

"Keep all that in mind, to become a companion to a Chosen Dragon will lead you to strife and amazement beyond your wildest dreams, but to become one's enemy will make you haunted with nightmares."

With all that said, the elf turned and left, vanishing into the crowd.

Louise was at lost for words, not even answering with Erisdar returned to guide her out of the elven village and back into the depths of Moonshine Grove.

* * *

The roaring campfires lit up the dark night of the region, a large encampment, surrounded by a sizable fortification of barricades, watch towers, and hastily build tents was a temporary resting place for a number of warriors. These warriors, whose skins were in different shades of red and orange, ate their hunted meat and foraged roots around the many stones encircled fires. In the midst of the entire encampment, the center ground so to speak, the Fel King, also known as the Warchief, sat outside his own tent.

His blade remained in its sheath, lying on top of a nearby rock, the Warchief tearing meat off the bone, savoring the taste before swallowing the meal down, dropping the bone into the flames to discard it.

Grom, a human placed within an orc's body, grumbled to himself.

'I miss modern day cooking…' He thought to himself, while he couldn't fault the orcs for their less than desirable non-combat skills, after all, they just suffered near loss of their civilization according to their lore, he had hoped there was somebody in the Empire that could at least cook a meal without burning anything.

But apparently, he was the only one with any knowledge of matter not relating to warfare.

A nearby Fel Orc Veteran sat next to him, "Something troubling you, Warchief?" He questioned while snapping a root in his grasp, then tossing a small piece into his own mouth.

Grom looked to the veteran, "My thoughts have been distant of late," He responded. "The old times cross my mind, the time before all of this."

Of course, Grom referred to his time back on Earth, but he worded it differently. The small speech quirks gained from being in a Warcraft Hero character had its benefits.

"Yes, the time before the demons attack on our world…" The veteran trailed off, "I can only vaguely remember the time, when we were grand, our civilization spanning across the continent… Heh, we would foolishly squabble against ourselves…"

"We still do, in some ways that are," Grom responded, the player waving his hand to showcase the sight of the encampment before them. "We destroyed an entire clan of strange, misshapen orcs. Though I know they aren't related to us, the similarities are there. Though now we own their lands, I doubt it will be so easy."

"You refer to the creatures you titled as the humans?" The veteran said.

"This is most likely the human's world, must like our own was ours," Grom said. "I doubt they will be easily dealt with, do you remember what our scouts reported before the portal shifted to this strange new world?"

"In the land of Kayla, those humans had strong fortifications," The veteran said.

Grom nodded, he knew the term of Kayla to refer to the world of Life of a Dragon Sequel.

"I am certain they have similar ones here, though we may not see them at first," Grom stated.

"How do we proceed then, Warchief? We have stood our position for the past three days, not venturing forth into the lands. The scouts can only report so much as they do not understand the language of this realm's humans. Those of Kayla were understandable, but this world's is unintelligible."

"These past few days I have been studying the language in my own time," The Fel Orc Player responded, but it was a lie, he already understood the language bizarrely. He could speak it quite fluently, if he had to hazard a guess, it was another positive perk of being a Warcraft Hero, the ability to understand any language. "I have a vague understanding now, we will take a small band of warriors and head towards the nearest town… What was its title again?"

The veteran hummed in thought, "An odd name, La Rochelle, appears to be some sort of port."

"Then we will make way to this port city in the morning." Grom finished.

* * *

Celdrahil, Dragon Slayer from the lands of Kayla, held the leadership an entire village's worth of men. It has been quite easy to 'persuade' them in joining his quest to secure the future of this nation which entitled itself the realm of Gallia. The people here had long since been forgotten and abandoned by the region's nobles, their King completely absent minded of their troubles or afflictions. The more information he bartered from the villagers, the more he increasingly began to plot and weave the potential thoughts and opinions of the townspeople.

Did that make him evil?

Celdrahil scoffed at the thought, 'The only evil here is the self-inflicted idea that these people can do nothing in face of such oppression.'

The 6th player in Life of a Dragon Sequel pressed a sharpening stone along his blade's edge, the slight screeching sound of metal filling the air around him for the briefest moments as the Dragon Slayer contemplating the possible future actions he may take in leading these hopeless people.

'Hopeless for now,' Celdrahil thought to himself, 'But even the smallest flame can become a wildfire with the right spark and fuel.'

If Celdrahil were to aid these people, not only against the creeps of Kayla but against the very kingdom that had forsaken them, he would have to incite a revolution.

Not something as feeble as a rebellion, but a revolution on the scale that would be rivaled to those of Earth's history.

Unfortunately, he didn't have the historical knowledge outside of a few, more popular, events that enacted Earth's own revolutions. But what he lacked in history, he had in excess gaming knowledge. Perhaps he could take some ideas from the game series such as Fable, Dragon Age, or Far Cry?

But without the bad endings, crazed theological factions, or anti-climactic boss fights.

However, knowing what limited information he had, the people of this world had tight ties to their religion… But, the common folk seem to be a bit more… Loose in that regard. If he could twist the truth here and there, imply some false information by using the religion to inspire but not overcome them with zealous fanaticism, then he'll have an army behind his beck and call.

"Sir Celdrahil?" An innkeeper, a lady just a bit shorter than he wearing common clothes carrying a tray of stew, bread, and wine came through the doorway.

Celdrahil was currently staying at a small inn located near the center of the village, which was actually pretty close to becoming a full-blown town if not for the recent years causing its deterioration back into a smaller community. He motioned with his hand, allowing the lady to enter the room.

"Please, set the tray down on the desk, I'll take my fill of it in a few short minutes," Celdrahil said to her.

The blush on the woman's face was not lost on him, but he had no interest in investigating or pursuing a relationship with any of the villagers. If he was to even begin with his future plans, he couldn't get distracted by side activities. Which also meant the neglecting of tempting pleasures awaiting him due to his recent aid against the golems that had attacked the place a few days earlier.

He had to mentally sigh, because of this, the ladies viewed him as a 'chivalrous knight that would do no harm to those of innocence,' the looks on the townspeople were not easily discarded from his thoughts, at least the admiration was appreciated and they left him his own personal time within his freely given quarters.

Celdrahil could pay, the Golems have given him gold, and only him as he was probably the only 'Player' around for Life of a Dragon's triggers to register an award. Of course, then he'll have to worry about a conversion rate between Warcraft III's gold and the local currency equivalent.

"You know, Sir Celdrahil, the children of the village have been most entertained at reenacting your heroism of your actions against the stone creatures," The innkeeper stated while she placed the tray on top of the desk, the steam of the meal rising above the bowl, begging Celdrahil just to rise up and devour its contents.

"That is gratifying to hear," Celdrahil said as he decided to take up on the offer that the food provided him. "But those heroics of mine were not just my own actions, all the townspeople that fought alongside me are also equally heroes."

The common people loved to hear praise, it was something he picked up quite early on. Celdrahil reasoned it was because the nobles often or not viewed those without magical abilities as below them.

What horse shit, the common people had many more skills than the nobles and outmatched the mages in both numbers and physical conditioning.

"Y-yes!" The women said with a smile, "But it was also you're magic that helped us! The nobles never do anything but a mage knight such as yourself went out of your way for the betterment of us all!" She bowed to him, "We can never thank you know, Sir Celdrahil, for your gracious and kind actions!" The innkeeper exclaimed.

"Please, don't bow to me, we are all equal in the eyes of the Maker," He said in return.

"The Maker?" The innkeeper said curiously.

"Pardon me," Celdrahil apologized. "It's my hometown's name for God, they are one in the same."

The lore of Kayla, the speech quirks that would slip into his tongue, they are both gratifying and annoying at times. Especially in moments where something that doesn't have any background in this world comes through.

"Oh, it is no issue," The women said. "If the title of Maker only means God in another way, I'm sure it is fine by the Church! They have let your hometown say it for quite a while if you have been raised to speak it so casually!"

"I've always assumed as much, so I've been speaking as such," Celdrahil said. "If you'll excuse me, I'll like to eat in peace."

"Oh, of course!" The innkeeper exclaimed, leaving the room, "Enjoy your meal, Sir Celdrahil," She said before closing the door behind her.

As Celdrahil started to eat, he absently wondered if he accidentally started a new religion by complete mistake. It wasn't as if the Human Kingdom of Kayla had crossed over into this world with its entire populace believing in the lore written religion of the Maker.

If it had, well, religious tension and conflict were sure to follow.

But thankfully, that wasn't the case…

Right?

* * *

Current Status: (Forgot to update Dragon Levels Last time)

Chosen Dragon Player 1: Saito Hiraga - Alive - Dragonet (Agility) Level 10

Chosen Dragon Player 2: Alex Storm - Alive - Bronze Dragonet (Strength) Level 8

Chosen Dragon Player 3: Asuna Godiva - Alive - Nether Dragonet (Strength) Level 10

Chosen Dragon Player 4: Artos Archway - Alive - Green Dragonet (Agility) Level 7

Chosen Dragon Player 5: Cora Rune - Alive - Blue Dragonet (Intelligence) Level 8

Dragon Slayer Player 6: Celdrahil - Alive - Slayer Level 8

Dragon Catcher Player 7: Rosina - Alive - Catcher Level 10

The Human Kingdom Player 8: Aylmer and Abigail - Alive - King Level 3, Princess Level [Error]

The Fel Empire Player 9: Grom - Alive - King of Fel Empire Level 5

Mercenary Player 10: Elizabeth Loyal - Alive - Sorceress Level 7

Observer Map Maker: Map Maker - Alive - The World Editor


	22. Chapter 22

**Author's Note:** I've been making great strides with version 2.3 of the Warcraft 3 RP map. Finishing the Main Story Route, adding new content, and fixing/balancing numerous things that had previously bugged me. Like items actually crossing over to the new hero when you get your color/element!

In any case, enjoy the chapter, please review by all means! And if you play the map, tell me your own adventures now and then!

* * *

Life of a Zero Dragon

Chapter 22: Confliction of Realities

Artos Archway appreciated the familiar setting that the environment around him provided, while the inherent look of it had changed drastically, it still was the same pathway and crossroad that remained in all the different versions within Life of a Dragon Sequel. The farmland disregarded as possible terrain changes done by the Map Maker, the same four building surrounded by wooden fences marketplace remained in its usual setting.

The Green Chosen Dragon stayed his distance, though, while he was aware of what the game would normally be like, he couldn't count on the programming to enact similarly, if not exact, behavior in this transition.

There were four pre-placed Boulder Towers at all four sides of the crossroad, Artos had confidence he could destroy the defenses given time, but he didn't know if the Human Kingdom of Kayla would retaliate with excessive force.

After all, he had no idea if the Kingdom was 'allied' to Chosen Dragon players like himself.

He could handle a few towers, but he couldn't handle an army. The Green Dragons were known as support heroes, with healing spells and damage over time abilities.

It wasn't like the Green Dragon could reverse his spells' to deal damage, that would be like, he didn't know, Acid Dragon or something?

As far as he knew, an 'Acid Dragon' choice didn't exist.

Artos shook his head, 'No need to overthink, just hover up there and see if they attack you!' He thought to himself.

The Chosen Dragon player slowly hovered up toward the crossroad, approaching the market cautiously. A moment passed, and already he found himself within the range of the tower's defenses, it could easily fire a boulder at him with the catapult construct within.

It didn't.

He released a breath he barely knew had held.

"Stop right there dragon!"

Artos practically jumped in surprise as he looked toward the sound of the voice hastily, alone footman, a common soldier of the Kayla Kingdom.

The footman continued, "I'm going to ask you to stop sneaking around like that, it'll make citizens uncomfortable."

If Artos' eye would twitch, it would right now.

'Sheesh, it's like Skyrim with a sentence like that.' He thought in a comment to the footman's words.

The Chosen Dragon opened his jaw to speak the first words to another sentient being since his arrival in this vast, untamed world.

"I apologize, it won't happen again."

How quaint.

The footman nodded, "Enjoy your stay in Farmer's Cross; dragon of Kayla," He finished, before continuing his patrol along the Kingdom road.

The Chosen Dragon sighed, before looking towards the east road.

"I wonder…" He trailed off as he began following the stone-paved ground.

* * *

He pressed a hand against the wall, held breath releasing as a relax position overtook him. The King of Kayla they called him, the leader of an entire Kingdom, it was an overbearing pedestal forced upon him by the sheer chance of being unfortunate enough to be sucked into a new world. Aylmer wished nothing more to be rid of the garments that were placed on him, the metaphorical clothes that he wore a mask to a large populace of people that depended on his every decision.

Aylmer, the eighth player, slumped in exhaustion against the stone, cold walls. He barely managed to keep himself from slipping into the state of dreams but refrained from it with his remaining willpower. The King, after all, was suppose to be an image of perfection in the eyes of the people.

How much a burden it weighed on him, the reality of monarchy with good will nothing like the simple act of playing a game where one was royalty. Nonetheless, he would try all he had until he found a way home, and find a way he would, for his young sibling's life depended on it.

He heard something but decided to ignore it as he began walking down the hallway towards his bedchambers.

The sword on his side dangling slightly despite being tightly placed along his waistline belt. Aylmer's eyes drooped with the lack of sleep, even his reserves of magical energy were affected by the crucial necessity.

There it was again, a sound, distant and echoing.

"Might as well see what it is first…" He trailed off as he forced himself to turn.

Step by step, he closed it on the sound… No… It was a tune, a repeating string of notes resounding along the walls. A quiet sheet of music played in a repeating session, its origin emanating from the room of his little sister.

He pressed a hand against the door, it slowly creaked open, letting out the musical piece that looped every few seconds. A simple sound, only a few notes, played again and again from a tiny hand-sized music box that lay on top a simple wooden desk in the midst of the room.

"Abigail?" He said in a near whisper, his eyes trailing from the small music box towards the child with long, flowing blond hair that on a crude chair while curiously looking towards that little music player like a silent audience.

" _Can you see it?"_ Abigail spoke in a strange, yet gentle tone. _"I can see it, I can see them… Beyond the valley, leaving the delicate, moonlit groves…"_

"Abigail?" Aylmer said again, walking up and taking a knee to his sister's height.

"I can see so much, Aylmer…" Her voice returned, "It's so scary yet pretty, it's like I can see what's going on without being there… I can see what might happen without it occurring… Or I can see what lies in the past that never truly was, yet now is…"

The big brother of the due placed a hand on the spinning music box, stopping its repeating notes and removing the tunes that echoed throughout the room. "Abigail, many things have occurred in the passing days… And I previously thought you didn't change at all when we arrived here… I was foolish."

"Do you know what's happening to me?" Abigail spoke, the eight-year-old looking at the elder sibling.

"Perhaps you have magic," He responded with a smile, "But you don't know how to control it like I do, or Elizabeth. You have magic that isn't from Warcraft, I mean if we can come here… Then maybe there was magic on Earth? But it didn't wake up until we came here."

"You think so? That maybe my magic is special?"

"I know so," Aylmer said. "Maybe it has to do with the seeing stuff? Like a fortune teller, except way better!" He exclaimed to brighten the mood.

"Hehe," Abigail giggled, "So I can see things that might happen, and then I can help you as well!"

"Yep," He responded, "Just don't try to hide it, okay? Don't fight it, I'm sure your magic just really wants you to use it, you just have to let it help you out until you learn yourself how to use it."

"Okay!" Abigail said, "I'll work hard!"

"Good, now big bro is going to sleep, he's really, really tired."

"Alright, I'll wake you up if something happens!"

"I'm sure Marthan will dump a bucket of water on me anyway, but I appreciate it."

* * *

It was a long ongoing plain of grass, with rolling hills and spots of rocky outcrops. A nearly unfathomable transition from the dense foliage and high over tops of Moonshine Grove, so quick it came as if Moonshine Grove was rather plucked from one area in placed spot middle within another. But, such was the case here, these large plains were the southern borders of Germania, a nation with a blurred line between noble and commoner, power obtained by wealth instead of privileged birthright.

Saito Hiraga looked over the seemingly endless terrain in front of him, his expression on of both awe, but also annoyance at the fact that both he and his partner would have to traverse such a breathtakingly long environment.

"Erisdar, I found something!" A voice called from behind him.

Saito turned to face her, seeing the pink-haired noble just making her way out of the forest with a strange, glowing yellow tome in hand.

"How the hell did you pick up a tome?" He questioned.

A tome, in more simple terms, was a hero-only powerup item that when picked up would automatically activate and grant a Hero its bonus. Such bonuses included permanent increases to certain attributes, gains in experience points, or rarely even an entire level's worth of experience.

But, that was the issue, or rather, the peculiarity of it. A tome activated once picked up, it did not wait for the player to 'click' on the item to use its effects.

Not to say he wasn't happy about it, after all, tomes only dropped during the beginning portions of the map from pre-placed creatures, creeps that were created from the editor and put on the map, not made from triggers such as events or the respawn system. This made tome drops a fleeting item that grew rarer as Life of a Dragon Sequel progressed.

"This is a tome?" Louise said with fascination, "As in, a magical tome?"

"Yeah…?" Erisdar responded with confusion.

The young mage opened the tome, surprising the hell out of the first player at the impossibility of the act. But it quickly passed, knowing that the 'transition' into this new world possibly allowed for improbable actions to even subjects related to Life of a Dragon Sequel, Warcraft, not to just Halkeginia.

"I can't read any of this," The girl's enthusiasm deflated.

"Here, let me," The Chosen Dragon said as he used his wings to hover over to his master, looking over her shoulder and checking out the strange dialect that was written into the tome.

"See?" Louise said, laying a finger on top of the words.

Saito hovered a bit closer, and laid a paw on the tome to angled it at his direction-

The tome lit up in brilliance, it burst into golden particles and surrounded both Louise and Saito, a similar light erupting around the latter dragon as he felt himself become stronger by the Tome of Power, the tome of leveling, by one.

Then came pain, his head screeching like someone puts claws to a chalkboard, both he and Louise collapsed, the small girl attempting in vain to cover her ears to block a noise that simply didn't exist outside of her head.

 _Critical Exception Error!_

"Aaack!" Saito yelled as his vision blurred, breathing quickening and his heart pumping madly.

"Make it stop!" Louise exclaimed in similar distress.

 _Report: FX00000C2152, Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne has encountered an error and will shut down._

"Damn it!" Saito screamed as he struggled to get up, but his body felt heavy, he could barely move it as if it was no longer under his control.

Louise Valliere banged her fist against the ground, she breathed in heavy intakes of air as she struggled to fight valiantly against an unseen foe, her magic swirled and boiled under her skin, willpower mustering upward into her forward mind.

 _Report Crash to the creator of Program, press close to exit- VOIDING._

 _Program has stopped responding- VOIDING_

 _Critical Exception Erro- VOIDING._

 _Report: FX00-VOIDING._

 _Restarting Program…_

The pain stopped suddenly, both Louise and Saito on the ground, the former completely exhausted as her willpower simmered down into a state of dormancy. The Chosen Dragon got back upright, the endurance of a Warcraft III hero allowing him to recover quickly.

"Louise!" Saito said in concern as he faced the downed girl, "Are you okay?"

"I'm…" Louise trailed off, "...Fine now… What happened?" She questioned.

"I don't know…" Saito said, but he had an idea of what occurred, "But let's not try to use any power up items again, or at least, don't use them together."

Louise Valliere nodded, "Just… Give me a few moments to rest…"

"Sure thing, I'll stand guard," He said as he sat down.

"You better… You are my familiar after all… My partner…" The pink-haired girl stated before taking a break to both catch her breath and recover from the recent, odd ordeal.

The Chosen Dragon player sighed in relief, 'But… It looks like there's more conflict between Halkeginia and Life of a Dragon than it seems…' He couldn't help but think to himself, what terrifying events could occur in the future.

* * *

Current Status:

Chosen Dragon Player 1: Saito Hiraga - Alive - Dragonet (Agility) Level 11

Chosen Dragon Player 2: Alex Storm - Alive - Bronze Dragonet (Strength) Level 8

Chosen Dragon Player 3: Asuna Godiva - Alive - Nether Dragonet (Strength) Level 10

Chosen Dragon Player 4: Artos Archway - Alive - Green Dragonet (Agility) Level 8

Chosen Dragon Player 5: Cora Rune - Alive - Blue Dragonet (Intelligence) Level 8

Dragon Slayer Player 6: Celdrahil - Alive - Slayer Level 8

Dragon Catcher Player 7: Rosina - Alive - Catcher Level 10

The Human Kingdom Player 8: Aylmer and Abigail - Alive - King Level 3, Princess Level [Error]

The Fel Empire Player 9: Grom - Alive - King of Fel Empire Level 5

Mercenary Player 10: Elizabeth Loyal - Alive - Sorceress Level 7

Observer Map Maker: Map Maker - Alive - The World Editor


	23. Chapter 23

**Author's Note:** Just wanted to let everyone know that I greatly appreciate their support for both the story and the map it's based on.

Now enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Life of a Zero Dragon

Chapter 23: The Ticking Clock

Rosina, Dragon Catcher, and Cora Rune, Blue Chosen Dragonet, traveled through the harsh, cold environment that made the high mountains of Kayla. Though these large natural formations were native to the world that is Life of a Dragon Sequel, its current proximity to the floating island of Albion displaced it. To add to that, the Ice Trolls of Kayla continued to increase in numbers, though thankfully ending at a certain numeral due to the map's respawning triggers.

Regardless, both Heroes had focused on killing a large populace of the creeps, it would have been called genocide if not for the artificial nature of it all. This allowed the Dragon Catcher and Chosen Dragon to increase their level of power to a more comfortable area.

A golden light erupted around the green dyed clothes of Rosina, signaling another step of progression towards the maximum level cap.

"Hell yeah, level twelve!" Rosina shouted.

"Congratulations," Cora said in response, the blue dragon taking a small breather from recent combat as a nearby Frost Bite Troll, a higher level troll creep, decomposed slowly.

Normal Warcraft units would decompose into skeletal corpses within seconds before their body disappear a minute later. Of course, like many other changes, the Transition altered this rate to take hours instead of seconds.

Probably for the best.

"Thank you, thank you!" Rosina exclaimed, "You have no idea how refreshing it is to not speak in fancy style."

"Fancy style? What do you mean?" The Blue Dragonet tilted her head curiously at the seventh player.

Rosina paused, thinking of a way to explain it, "When I talk to others, I spoke all like 'My gratitude for your word of thanks.' Instead of the usual way I spoke." She shifted her tone during the quote to imply a more noble speech pattern.

"Sounds like a movie actor in one of those medieval settings," Cora said, easily pictured and played out different scenarios, after all, she had always been quite the role player before all this happened.

"Exactly! It was totally bizarre! Not the way I like to speak in the slightest! Might be because they were NPCs or something, but I doubt it," Rosina stated as she browsed mentally through her Hero Abilities, pondering which of the five skills to place her newly acquired skill point.

Cora Rune smiled, while she was not as energetic as Rosina, and certainly not as carefree in terms of speech, the fifth player appreciated the straightforward personality behind the Catcher's appearance. It provided a relaxing atmosphere in a usually tense situation.

"At the current moment, with you having reached level twelve and my current being ten, I believe we can handle the trolls without having to return and recover at the Blue Dragon Nest," Cora explained.

"Mmh," Rosina hummed as she chooses to place a point in Rejuvenating Light, a healing ability that restores health over time. "At the village, I stayed at, the peps there gave me some idea of where we can head next. It's freaky weird how it's a Britain name, though."

"What's its name?" Cora asked, wanting to know a possible destination.

"Carlisle, the name is exactly like another town's name on Earth," Rosina explained. "I walked off the road a bit and met up with you, though it was strange that I suddenly knew that someone would be here."

"You think the Map Maker is also in this world? He was in an observer slot, so perhaps he has something likened to the role and is using that to communicate with us?" Cora theorized.

"Perhaps," Rosina began, "But that's just a theory, let's head to Carlisle."

"Sure, let me pick up the item drop from the troll first," Cora said as she hovered over to the corpse of the troll and picked a shining object which was placed into the player's metaphysical inventory.

Ice Shard; reduces all magical damage taken by 10%.

"That'll be useful," The Blue Dragonet commented.

"Sweet, let's go," Rosina finished.

* * *

The Fel King entered the confines of the Fel Burrow, while he had recently decided in the previous night his exact plans to head way towards the port city of La Rochelle, he had been studying up on the information gleaned from the three humans made temporary residents within this very burrow.

"Greetings," Grom said, his accent rather thick in the foreign language he presumed was some form of French.

"I demand you release me you barbaric monster!"

"Oh shut up you pampered noble!"

"Here I thought we could actually get along…"

The Fel King, the ninth player, sighed in frustration at the three individuals that couldn't cooperate with one another at any sufficient level. It wasn't hard to figure out that there was a sort of caste system that the common folk rather hated and the 'higher' nobles appreciated their elevated status. While Grom cared little for their internal political struggles, as well as cultural, these three were unfortunate to be his only source of any information related to the neighboring nations.

The first man was a noble with well-kept clothing and pale, smooth skin akin to a sheltered and wealthy lifestyle of this era. His attitude left much to be desired, arrogant, prone to making demands, yet also a coward at his core should Grom choose to threaten his life.

He was also a magic user, but strangely after the taking of his wand, he became unable to cast any spellcraft. While Grom was familiar with this sort of tool requirement from Earth's fictional fantasies, the Empire was clueless in the mage's lack of wandless, hand weaving abilities. Still, the man was a treasure trove for the more diplomatic and political structure of this nation called Tristain.

Regardless, the Fel Orcs trusted their Warchief, their King, and will follow his command to the death. The loyalty engraved within them both lore-speaking and map wise was that commendable.

The second, a commoner, or so the former had stated. A rugged man with wool clothing, thick and suitable for field work. His muscles were toned and the man had much knowledge and experience in local geology, however, any matters pertaining to Tristain were vague or ignorant.

The final, third individual, was actually just a traveling merchant that sold his wares as he went throughout the five human nations, he was perhaps the most cooperative and informative person out of the three.

Grom turned his attention towards the merchant, "Your cooperation in the past three days has been much appreciated. All your goods have been securely watched and untouched by my orcs and you will be released momentarily to continue your journey."

"That's good news to hear," The merchant said. "I'm actually very interested in your people, never have in all my life have I've seen such a species like your own. Would you care if I partake in a trade with some of your men?"

"Not at all, while the language barrier is a bit of an issue, I'm sure we can all appreciate and understand a well-traveled tradesman," Grom began. "I myself might be willing to browse your wares, which brings me to a certain question."

The Warchief brought out a small pouch containing one hundred gold pieces, "Can I have your expertise in the conversion rate of our currency into your own?"

The tradesman took the pouch, taking a single gold coin and examining it. "I can more accurately tell its value with my scale weight."

"Don't ignore me you brute!" The noble shouted.

Grom unsheathed his blade in an instant, the tip of the long sword coming just short of cutting the noble's head clean off. The weapon, an artifact, hummed with the power of flame as runic sigils simmered with a reddish orange hue.

Artifacts… If there were any item most affected by the Transition, it was these relics. In the map, they were considered the most powerful items to have in one's inventory, each having their own piece of lore.

This lore, tied into the transition, amplified the Artifact's already overpowering attributes. They were greater, had an unseen presence to them. As if they were legendary items from mythical tales.

"Be silent, I do not have the patience to deal with witless, spoiled, stuck up rich boys," Grom spoke with an underlying anger, his voice's tone changing ever so slightly to reflect both his human soul and the orcish body.

The noble Mage shut up quickly as his cowardly personality surfaced in the face of death.

"A-alright, let's not get too hasty," he responded.

The ninth player lowered his weapon, "Now, you said you needed a scale?" The Warchief questioned the merchant.

"Yeah, I have one in my inventory as well as a bag of the local currency, get me both and I'll give you a rough estimate I'm sure will apply to most places." The merchant said.

"Very well, afterward I will release you."

"What about us?" The commoner man asked.

"I'll think about it if you provide more information."

* * *

A crack of lightning echoed for miles, dark, gloomy clouds hanging high above in the sky as they began to pour their contents down towards the land below. A storm, rain, dripping down merciless onto the buildings below. The constant pecking of raindrops splashed against the many rooftops, water slid down their brick and stone exteriors as the residents stayed within the avoid being pelted by the vicious storm.

Within this large city, in the midst of it all, a lone castle stood surrounded by a formidable wall, its guards retaining their posts whether sheltered or not from the beating weather. These men had critical jobs, the protection of the Royal family living in the white halls of the large fortification.

Deeper inside, stuck in the confines of the castle for the current duration, a figure surrounded by many sat calmly displayed on a throne.

In front of this person, kneeling down before the small staircase leading up to the throne, a female soldier with dark peach colored hair relayed her report.

"Your Majesty, Queen Henrietta, I bring information concerning the task you have given me," She said.

"Stand, Captain Agnes," The Queen, the same figure that sat on the throne, dressed in angel white garments and having beautiful lavender hair, said. "Begin your report."

The Captain of Tristan's Royal Musketeers stood up straight, "Scouts have reported that within the confines of the Tristain Kingdom, there are numerous displaced regions that do not fit any known geological descriptions from Halkeginia's records. I've made a list of such areas within this parchment," Agnes reveals a tied up scroll, neatly rolled, and presents it to Henrietta.

The Queen of Tristain takes it, "Excellent work, continue." Henrietta's face gives no expression of weakness, she does not let her emotions through in sight of everyone around her.

There were many reasons behind this, only known to a select few.

"Yes, there have been sightings of strange red-skinned creatures, to the most northern parts of Tristain, by fortune, these new residents have eliminated a majority of the native orc population. They have not attacked or sought out any humans as far as we are aware."

Henrietta nodded and motioned for Agnes to continue.

"As for news regarding Orangebark Forest, the Ogres have been dealt with until further notice. The creatures having stopped coming after a sizable force camped within the forest, possibly intimidated by the military regiment and having retreated deeper into the forest. All attempts to cut down the trees have met with failure, the local landlords have giving up of removing the forest and instead seek to plunder it for any new resources it may have within its depths. That is all."

Agnes stops, having finished her report. The Queen remains silent, thinking over the report and how to respond to the events occurring in Tristan's borders. She was a new Queen, recently Princess, but having been forced to succeed after the death of her late father and her mother's rejection of taking the throne in his death.

"Thank you, Captain, meet with me within my private quarters later to discuss an important matter," Henrietta said, it was the following report from Agnes she really desired to hear.

Agnes bowed, "As you wish, your Majesty."

Henrietta faced her military advisor, General Walter, an old gruff man with gray hair and brown eyes, but in those eyes lay decades of experience.

"General Walter, your opinion on Orangebark?" Henrietta asked this man was perhaps one of her most trustworthy advisors, loyal to the crown and not the nobility.

He hummed in thought, rubbing his chin with his hand, "If the local nobles in the region believe that resources could be found within Orangebark, that is their own business. But I will not needlessly send the forces there deeper into the place without further investigation on the Ogre's numbers and strengths. We have no idea what lay in the depths of the woods."

"I'll take your opinion into consideration, now concerning these red creatures I want you to make sure the commoners aren't unprotected," Henrietta said.

"With all due respect, my Queen, we lack a sufficient amount of information concerning these red skins. It's best we watch from afar before making any decisions. We do not know if they are as smart as us, or dumber than the orcs they slew." Walter said.

"Then do what you think is necessary, I trust you in this matter."

Walter bowed, "By your will, it shall be done."

Henrietta stood up, "I will head to my quarters now; Agnes with me."

The Queen of Tristain and Captain of the Musketeers left the overbearing atmosphere of the throne room and entered the comfortable small room of Henrietta's private quarters.

Henrietta closes the door, and faced the Captain, her friend, the strict, monotone-practiced expression dropping as the facade vanished.

"What did you learn of Louise?" She asked immediately.

"Very little, unfortunately," Agnes mentally scolded her incompetence, "Louise, her familiar, and three other individuals named by Kirche, Tabitha, and Ms. Longueville, all chased after the famed noble thief Fouquet where they all soon after vanished, including Fouquet."

"Is that it?" Henrietta questioned, hoping for more.

"I'm sorry, there were some minor rumors of a bright light shining briefly, it could be seen for miles but the sunlight was particular that day. There isn't any conclusive evidence," Agnes replied. "However, Professor Osmond did a thoroughly detect magic in the area… And discovered something quite shocking that he wanted me to give to you."

Agnes pulled out another scroll, it was darker in tint, the ink having bled though the parchment at some points. The Queen of Tristain took it and briefly skimmed through its contents.

"This…" Henrietta trailed off in disbelief.

"Yes, something with that magnitude of power… It is difficult to comprehend that it could even exist."

"... Louise…"

* * *

Suddenly the door banged loud, and Agnes opened it cautiously.

"What is it?" The Captain responded.

"Urgent news! La Rochelle is burning!"

Henrietta snapped out of her stupor and turned quickly, "What? By whom!?"

"By a dragon!"

He, the Map Maker, stood there transfixed at the message displayed on the World Editor before him. It was impossible, yet, when taking into consideration all that had occurred up to this point it was not the most surprising event to occur.

There, on the screen that revealed all of Kayla and Halkegenia, were the words.

 _Update Complete: Life of a Dragon Sequel v2.1_

"Oh shit," The Map Maker said.

There were many, many implications and complications that arrived with a map update, while the minor things such as bug fixing and generally repairing and remastering of the core trigger work didn't cause many problems. It was the addition of new content that worried him.

Such as the inclusion of fixed custom Events.

Events that apparently were also displaced from their original points of execution.

The Map Maker glanced down at the game text that displayed itself on the side.

 _A Rogue Red Dragon is attacking the Kingdom!_

Only, it wasn't attacking the right Kingdom…

"Well… Crap… Uh… I'm sure they can deal with one full adult red dragon unit…" He felt guilty, but his responsibilities lie in keeping the Players safe, not playing the merciful god.

Besides… He didn't have the luxury to needlessly expend power, he had work to do if Kingdom and Empire Players were to survive the following storm.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the midst of a wide, open grassland, two figures traveled though the vast plain. A dragon and a girl with pink hair, though the former did not experience exhausting from having journeyed a far distance, the same could not be said for the latter.

"Erisdar!" Louise exclaimed as she stopped right then and there, "I'm exhausted, we've been walking for hours!"

"I don't know about that," Erisdar replied, "But I guess we can take a short break."

A heavy sigh of relief escaped the noble girl's lips as she slumped down and sat on the soft grass, the gentle breeze gracefully passing by and caressing her tired body.

"How much further do we need to walk?" Louise Valliere questioned, ideally wishing she had a horse for a while now.

"Uh…" Erisdar trailed off as he looked southward, "Maybe a day?"

"Ugh… I'm starving," Louise said, "I haven't eaten anything since… Since we left the Academy."

The Chosen Dragon nodded, "Yeah, you were quite distracted by the elves that you didn't notice anything else… Well, thankfully I got something."

She arched an eyebrow at the dragon, "Got something? You aren't carrying anything on you!"

"Not true, I have some bread in my Inventory."

With that said, a large loaf of bread appeared, transitioning slowly from whatever place into the physical realm. By fortune, the size of the bread was as long as Louise's arm. Erisdar handed the item to the girl.

She held it in her hands, a distant whisper, or some description hovering in the forethought of her mind.

 _Bread_

 _A large loaf with five slices baked from dough. Restores 200 hit points per use. Contains 5 charges._

She didn't care, Louise tore a slice free and devoured it hungrily. Just the single piece tasted fantastic, most likely from her starving demeanour did she ignore the bland flavor. The lone slice gave her stomach satisfaction, it would suffice but it didn't fill her.

Before she took another to eat, Erisdar took it back and it vanished, the bread's opacity dimming into nothingness as it returned to the dragon's inventory.

"Erisdar! Why did you do that? I'm still hungry!" She voiced her complaint.

"I know, but it's all we got! You can have more later tonight!" Erisdar said, the familiar himself probably hungry, but the body of a dragon allowed him to stave off the stomach pain for much longer durations than the human girl. "Now, in a few more minutes we can continue walking. I promise we will reach somewhere by the next day- huh?"

"What is it? Why did you stop suddenly?" Louise asked in concern.

"Two point one…? Oh, it's nothing, just, a random thought…" The Chosen Dragon trailed off.

'Well, if he says so…' Louise thought as she rested a bit more.

* * *

Current Status:

Chosen Dragon Player 1: Saito Hiraga - Alive - Dragonet (Agility) Level 11

Chosen Dragon Player 2: Alex Storm - Alive - Bronze Dragonet (Strength) Level 8

Chosen Dragon Player 3: Asuna Godiva - Alive - Nether Dragonet (Strength) Level 10

Chosen Dragon Player 4: Artos Archway - Alive - Green Dragonet (Agility) Level 8

Chosen Dragon Player 5: Cora Rune - Alive - Blue Dragonet (Intelligence) Level 10

Dragon Slayer Player 6: Celdrahil - Alive - Slayer Level 8

Dragon Catcher Player 7: Rosina - Alive - Catcher Level 12

The Human Kingdom Player 8: Aylmer and Abigail - Alive - King Level 3, Princess Level [Error]

The Fel Empire Player 9: Grom - Alive - King of Fel Empire Level 5

Mercenary Player 10: Elizabeth Loyal - Alive - Sorceress Level 7

Observer Map Maker: Map Maker - Alive - The World Editor


	24. Chapter 24

**Author's Note:** Man, I had a good vacation at Disneyland, anyway I hope that everyone continues to enjoy the story. More work is being put into 2.3, I've finally got a schedule going. No more revamping triggers! Done on that! Just all the content stuff now on!

Life of a Zero Dragon

Chapter 24: Oh Maker, I See Fire

* * *

A horrifying sight, a red dragon the size of a mansion laying siege to the port city of La Rochelle. The burning embers rose from the fiery, burning buildings, spreading and catching upon dry wood any surrounding houses and stores, igniting more flames as a large shadow sailed overhead. The town's clock tower rung loudly, signaling an alarm that many ignored as they struggled to flee for their lives.

A building collapsed, it's pillars shattering under their deterioration from the fire that charred it's wood into black ash.

"Mommy!" A child cried out as the building fell, the little girl being blasted into her back by the coming cloud of dust and ash, a pressure of the wind that formed from the falling construct.

The girl stood back on her feet, her clothes covered in soot, short red hair a mess, the child walked forward down the streets, her eyes looking up into the smoke-filled skies to see the large shape fly. Despite being in the midst of mortal danger, the female mortal ran up to the ladder leading into a tower, she climbed and climbed, reaching the top and spotting the sheer mass of scale and red colors landing on top of a airship, tearing it down onto the station which imploded in a gust of wind as the magical wind stones within combusted and shattered apart.

She filled her lungs with oxygen and smoke, yelling out with all her might. "Mommy! Where are you?!" She screamed across the town, the city that burned.

The girl was heard, but not by her mother.

The massive red dragon reared its head toward the small tower that had remained standing in the face of adversity.

It's four legs stepped forward, using the rooftops as stepping stone, the large wings fanned, sending a pressure of the wind that blew the fires, but not out. The jaws revealed themselves, and the dragon spoke to the wailing child.

"Your mother will not answer you, child of man, she has been devoured by the flames created by Osgoth, the newest tyranny of Kayla!"

The girl recoiled, hiding futilely under the small wall of the tower top. "You're lying!" She screamed out in refusal.

The Full Adult Red Dragon chuckled at the little girl's crude attempt to dissuade the truth.

"No one will come for you, nothing can save you from my unwavering fire. Child of man, you will burn. Your mother will not save you. The Maker will not save you."

"No!" She replied, suddenly she felt the tower lean, falling a bit before stopping abruptly as its base cracked and crumbled. "Ah! Help!"

"Do not worry child of man, I will help you… With death!"

With a great roar, a booming voice that traveled for miles, the large red dragon charged forward. Osgoth's four, sizable paws crushed the tops of homes with formidable muscle and sharp talons. His wings beat once, and twice, giving him lift and accelerating his already quick pace.

But, half way towards the crying girl that awaited her demise, twelve crossbow bolts fired from afar, many pricking off the scales before spinning uselessly into the flames below, but one got its mark and embedded itself within the flesh.

Osgot stopped abruptly, his size smashing apart a cart that his tail swatted away by its mere presence. He looked towards the direction of his assailants, growling with boiling anger.

"Who dares strike against Osgoth, rogue red dragon of Kayla!" He yells as his eyes spot the presence of a small army, an army made with strange red-skinned creatures.

The leader rose up upon the flat roof of a building, "I do, Osgoth! Fel King Grom, Orc Warchief of the Fel Empire! And I will call La'Koria down upon you for the many people you have consumed with your flames, overgrown lizard!"

The Fel Orcs behind him roared their war cries in unison, crossbows aimed high at the red dragon before them, while Raiders, orcs mounted on giant canines, prepared their nets. Before the Raiders, lay two rows of grunts, their blood boiling for combat while hands gripped their axes tightly in anticipation; for every twelve orcs had one shaman to cast supportive magic.

"I will burn you, prudent creature! I will tear your flesh and devour your army! I will scorch your homes and turn your children to ash!" Osgoth roared in a challenge.

"Then come and try it, dragon! Dare fight against those who repelled demons!" Grom replied in defiance.

Once again, Osgoth roared, his wings spread out and began to beat, again and again, unintentionally fanning out some flames while the rogue red dragon took flight into the sky. The Fel King leaped off his post, the crossbowmen following him as the Hero rushed to his army.

"Scatter Formation! Scatter Formation! I do not want that dragon's flames doing any splash damage to tightly-knit clusters!"

The orcs obeyed their leader, spreading out into a scattered formation, preventing more casualties than acceptable by dragon flame. Osgoth soared overhead, attempting to use his intimidating size to scare off any cowards among the ranks. But the Fel orcs held firm, resolute and determined in their leader's decision.

"Crossbows!" Grom called out, "Aim!"

The rogue full adult dragon turned in the sky, his massive form coming right the army, mouth opening wide as embers emit from within.

"Hold!" Grom yelled, though he his human self-was fearful, the Warcraft Hero's personality helped keep him collected. "Hold!"

Osgoth was right above them, the dragon's chest breathed deeply as his head reeled back to release a torrent of red and orange fire.

"Release bolts!" The ninth player commanded.

Around two dozen bolts released in near unison, each projectile launched with mechanical precision and power from the ranged weapons. They flew across the air, meeting up to the point where they collided against the mass of scale and muscle, fire and blood. Osgoth ignored them, pain erupted from multiple points of the red dragon's body as they embed themselves deep, piercing through his hardened scales.

He released a giant sphere of flame from his mouth, the fired projectile following down like a cannonball launched from a steel catapult.

"Take cover!" Grom said as he moved out of the way, the fireball flying right over him and exploding in a fury of scorching heat behind him. An emergence of pain came from his backside, by the Warcraft Hero endurance and also being the Strength attribute type aided his ability to tolerant such damage.

His troops weren't as fortunate as their Warchief, the great blast melted armor, skin, and muscle to the bone. This agonizing fate met with four crossbowmen and three grunts, an already heavy toll that would have worsened if they had not changed formations mere moments beforehand.

A few more were injured, prompting the shamans to get to work in healing the injured. Unlike in regular Warcraft 3, the shamans were granted the ability to cast a weak healing ability in Life of a Dragon to make up for the loss of the troll healer, as all troll units were removed.

There were no intelligent trolls in Kayla, after all.

"Reform!" Grom said, snapping the crossbowmen back into attention as they quickly recovered themselves to stand and prepare the next volley. The Fel Warchief looked to the Fel Raiders, "Raider! Are you ready?"

"Nearly prepared, Warchief, we only need to bring that dragon down close enough!" A raider replied.

"Were it so easy…" Grom trailed off as he spotted Osgoth preparing another trip down towards the small army of Fel orcs.

"The dragon returns, Warchief!"

"Take aim! Shaman, I want Bloodlust spells set on crossbowmen, now!" Grom yelled. "We can hit him twice in one go!"

But it took time for the Shaman to cast the Bloodlust buff, as mentioned before, this spell increases a target's attack and movement speed. However, the Shaman can only cast the speed on one person at a time before he can move to apply the spell to the next individual. This leaves a crucial gap of seconds between each casting.

The dragon began to reel back to release another fireball, his distance approaching quickly as the wings glided him over the burning city of La Rochelle.

Grom grew anxious, not all his men would have the buff in time, "Hold!"

Osgot released the fireball early, the flaming sphere crashing downward towards the army.

"Fire at will! Fire at will!" Grom repeated, the orcs obeyed him and opened fire, those who were enhanced by magic allowed them to launch multiple bolts in haste.

The bolts passed by the fireball, which came blasted against the ground, reddish orange combustion incinerating the plant life and killing three more orcs, Grom himself was sent rolling against the ground as he could practically feel his hit points drop dramatically.

He struggled back up, blood dripping from his wounds and parts of his skin having second-degree burns. The Warchief stood and pointed his katana-like sword at the dragon right overhead.

"Now!" He yelled.

A furry of large nets shot from every direction from the Raiders, catching themselves on the dragon's wings, forcing Osgoth to the ground as he landed, destroying parts of the earth below as rocks and dirt flew up into the air, creating dust.

Grom charged with his sword in hand, "Tear him asunder! Lok'tar Ogar!" His right hand glowed with magic as he grasped the pommel of his weapon with both palms.

"Fel Spirit," He announced, the spell activating as two burst of smoke and red crackling electricity formed from mana appeared into existence before the player.

They appeared, two Fel Stalkers with demonic appearance, long piercing pincers, and deadly jagged jaws, charged out from the smoke and tore at the scales and flesh of the downed rogue red dragon.

Osgoth flailed violently, a roar of defiance and pain echoing for miles as he threw off his enemies with a mighty heave. He stood up, but his wings were trapped and entangled in numerous nets. Osgoth swiped with his paw, as large as a tank, at the orcs that threatened to overwhelm him with numbers.

"Perish, mortals!" Osgoth exclaimed with rage as he blew forth a stream of fire, a spell called Breath of Fire, which blasted back the orcs, boiling their skin from the heat.

With the grunts and raiders temporarily set back, Osgoth attempted to nip at the nets and free himself, but his head was then bombarded by a ceaseless barrage of bolts. He growled and looked at his assailant's direction, taking note that he could not reach them with his flame at this range.

Osgoth roared in pain as he felt his tail being sliced by a long metal object, he turned and saw Grom stare defiantly at him.

"Maker curse you, red skin!" Osgoth yelled as he reached to chomp the player in half with his jaws.

Grom jumped, landing on the dragon's tail and running forward before avoiding narrowly the huge teeth that nearly bit him in two. His sword thrust forward, piercing through the scales and drawing forth a pool of red liquid, blood, that poured from the dragon.

 _Critical Hit._

"Aaaaagh!" Osgoth's voice faded, as his whole body reeled back, standing on two paws and causing Grom to fall onto the ground. The dragon took in a final breath, before falling to the side, breathing out as he died from the overwhelming loss of blood and pain.

A golden light erupted around Grom's form, signifying the achievement of a level while also granting him the relief that Osgoth was actually dead.

"Shaman…" He breathed, "Heal the wounded…" Grom trailed off in exhaustion. He took in a deep breath and stood right back up to face any survivors of his army.

"Listen up, today marks the day of change! If we are to survive and prosper in this world…" He took in another breath, his injuries stung badly that it distracted him. "Then we must show the world that we are more than just warriors! Those who are uninjured, go forth into the city, scour it for any survivors! Treat them with compassion, mercy, and concern! Rescue them from the burning embers!"

He took in another breath, "As for those were healed recently by the Shaman, set up camp here for those survivors. Raider sent a report to the base!"

"Yes, Warchief!" The army responded.

Grom nodded, closing his eyes to regain his composure from the injuries when all the sudden he felt something drop on his face. He opened his eyes again and took notice the sky above.

A drop of rain fell on his face, then another, then another, before a sprinkle of rainfall began to increase.

"I'm glad… The fires will lessen and be drowned out… Thank… Thank La'Koria…" He said, then he reached into his inventory and pulled out three glasses sealed with corks, each a Healing Potion with green liquid.

He gulped down a single vial in one go, a portion of his wounds closing and numbing down the pain vastly. His burns lessening in severity, scraps and cuts closing instantly.

"Now let's go, into La Rochelle!" Grom shouted as he sheathed his weapon and ran straight into the still burning city.

The fires were hot, the heat would be unbearable for any normal human. But thankfully, as both a Fel Orc and a Warcraft Hero, such temperatures were only a small nuisance to him. He pushed away a large pillar, his hands slightly scorched by the heat of the object. Grom ignored it, his destination set as he walked through the place.

The rain began to pick up, the fires beginning to die down as time progressed.

His eyes spotted a shadow figure, Grom's pace quickened as the figure collapsed into the rubble and flame. He bulk smashed and pushed away numerous obstacles, each lashing and pricking on him as the Fel Orc reached his target.

He couldn't see where the figure had landed, the ninth player fell to his knees and started to heave away debris about debris, then he saw.

A set of amber eyes looked up at him, the expression entirely emotionless as the same girl that dared talk back against a dragon now lay nearly lifeless on the ash covered ground.

"Don't die on me yet girl!" He yelled as his voice softened and he revealed his second Healing Potion and forcefully opened the girl's mouth, pouring the green liquid down the child's throat.

The flames were simmering, pillars of smoke filled with air.

It wasn't working, it was healing her only too little! She was closer to death's door than he thought.

"No, no, don't you dare!" Grom hastily pulled out his last vial, damned be that it was the last potion! He was not going to let this child die!

He failed before.

He failed in the army back on earth.

He failed his company and the civilians depending on him.

His hand slipped, the potion fell and broke apart on the ground below, its contents evaporating instantly.

"No, fuck!" He pressed his hands over the child, "Come on girl, don't die!"

Think, think!

"Healing Spray!" He called out his spell, the hero ability. It wasn't nearly as effective as a potion would be.

A shining multitude of colors erupted forth in a fountain spray of magic as they rushed into the girl's body.

It wasn't enough, Healing Spray healed too little and too slowly!

"Healing Spray!" He called out again.

 _This ability is still on cooldown._

"I don't care! Healing Spray!"

 _This ability is still on cooldown._

"Fuck the cooldown! I won't let this kid die on me!" He roared in defiance, "Healing Spray!"

 _This ability is still on cooldown._

"I DON'T GIVE A DAMN!" He wasn't going fail, not again, not in this world, not when he had the power!

 _This ability- Error! Error!_

"Healing Spray!"

A flash of light, blinding his own vision, a monochrome of hues, a sight of beauty and grace lit like a beacon in the area.

His felt his body drain at an unbelievable pace, his mouth dropping with blood as he felt his mana drain at a tremendous pace.

The girl's body lit up with the light, her mortal injuries closing, chest expanding before breath came into the child.

The girl gasped, before coughing a fit came through, soot spitting out as the light dimmed down into nothing.

"You're alive… You're alive…" He smiled genuinely as he hugged her, tears pouring from his face as he gave a human-like expression, he succeeded, his mana was mostly all spent, his body standing by willpower alone even when exhaustion threatened to take him.

It was lucky his body naturally regenerated mana points, if ever slowly.

Grom lifted up the human girl in bridal style, carefully making sure his armor didn't give the red haired girl discomfort. He started to walk, his body swaying in weakness, but he pushed on towards the encampment of his army.

The child's eyes opened and she saw the Orc carrying her, her expression remained desolate, yet when she saw Grom's smile, a small tingle of envy filled her entire being. He was so happy, even when he barely stood, he remained so happy in saving her.

Her only thought while being carried to safety…

'I wish I could smile like that…'

* * *

Current Status:

Chosen Dragon Player 1: Saito Hiraga - Alive - Dragonet (Agility) Level 11

Chosen Dragon Player 2: Alex Storm - Alive - Bronze Dragonet (Strength) Level 8

Chosen Dragon Player 3: Asuna Godiva - Alive - Nether Dragonet (Strength) Level 10

Chosen Dragon Player 4: Artos Archway - Alive - Green Dragonet (Agility) Level 8

Chosen Dragon Player 5: Cora Rune - Alive - Blue Dragonet (Intelligence) Level 10

Dragon Slayer Player 6: Celdrahil - Alive - Slayer Level 8

Dragon Catcher Player 7: Rosina - Alive - Catcher Level 12

The Human Kingdom Player 8: Aylmer and Abigail - Alive - King Level 3, Princess Level [Error]

The Fel Empire Player 9: Grom - Alive - King of Fel Empire Level 7

Mercenary Player 10: Elizabeth Loyal - Alive - Sorceress Level 7

Observer Map Maker: Map Maker - Alive - The World Editor


	25. Chapter 25

**Author's Note** : Man, the last chapter was quite the battle! I'm sure you all enjoyed those references! There was four in total! Not to mention that ending, she won't be our main character, that spot is for our dear tsundere Louise and her unlucky familiar, Saito.

There are mentions of Version 2.3 content in this chapter, be aware that at the time of writing this that version 2.3 has not yet been released. (current: v2.25)

Now, enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Life of a Zero Dragon

Chapter 25: The Leaks

"I… Wasn't expecting this," Rosina voiced her comment, "This is nothing like the Carlisle on the wiki pages, this is really a new world isn't it?"

Cora Rune looked to the Dragon Catcher, "You were basing information… Off-wiki pages?"

"Yeah," Rosina replied. "I didn't expect this world's Carlisle to be a port city… To airships! This island is actually floating!"

"It is quite the wonder," Cora said, "But we have more pressing matters, look closer to the city."

Rosina narrowed her eyes, the high accuracy of a Warcraft Hero's sight allowing her to pick out details more clearly than any normal human. She spotted that the city was apparently in some sort of militaristic lockdown, or they had been recently conquered by some sort of outside force. Rosina spent another minute scouring over Carlisle, taking note that the invaders, or whoever had this place under their control, didn't treat the populace with the dignity normally expected of their fellow man.

"Nobles…" Rosina trailed off.

"Huh?" Cora Rune questioned in confusion.

"From what I learned in the village I stayed in, the nobles of this country are not exactly the kindest of fellows. The commoners are treated like shit simply because they have magic."

"A magocracy?" Cora said, "Well, that's not entirely surprising in a world with magic." the Chosen Dragon stated.

Rosina arched an eyebrow at her fellow player, "Wow, you sure know quite a bit of all this medieval stuff, you some sort of history teacher?"

Cora shook her head, "No, nothing like that! It's just been a hobby of mine to read a lot of fantasy novels. I've also like watching quite a few medieval documents."

"Huh, to each their own I guess," Rosina replied before she started to walk down the road, glancing back towards the blue Chosen Dragon briefly. "You coming?"

"Of course," Cora replied as she followed the Dragon Catcher.

The two Heroes spent the next twenty or so minutes traversing along the road, which they had discovered earlier when leaving the confines of Kayla's misplaced Northern Mountains. After having traveled many kilometers they had come across Carlisle, prompting the conversation that had occurred earlier. As Rosina and Cora walked down the roads, they came across a small band of travelers much like themselves with the exception that the group wore different clothing and had more people.

"Greetings, fellow travelers!" Rosina yelled over to them, getting their attention.

"Afternoon, stranger," a large man replied, his face rough and muscles toned from much work while a two handed war hammer was strapped along his backside. "Are you heading to Carlisle?"

"Indeed," Rosina replied. "My partner and I are heading towards Carlisle for both supplies and information, might we join your group until we have reached the city?" She finished, the speech pattern of the Hero leaking into her manner of speaking.

"Your partner?" The man questioned, glancing behind the Dragon Catcher and spotting the young dragonet. "A dragon knight in training I presume? As long as you keep the dragon to yourself it will be alright.

"My thanks," Rosina said, though she had little to no idea of what the man knew of dragon knights. The only Dragon Knight she knew of was the secret hero of Life of a Dragon and Life of a Dragon Sequel. That Hero could transform into a powerful dragon for a limited time, but it didn't include a dragon companion, that was another Hero altogether.

"Are you part of the Reconquista by any chance?"

Rosina looked up, narrowing her eyes as she had only the smallest tidbits of information concerning that particular group that she received from the kind folk at the village.

"No, we are not part of it. Does that concern you?" Rosina questioned.

The man shook his head, "No, I'm just relieved."

"Why is that?" Rosina asked in confusion, though she had a small idea.

"Those of the Reconquista have been treating the common folk rather poorly. The royalists were much more considerate, but the rebels have been beating them back to the capital." The man answered the seventh player.

"Ah, do not concern yourself, I'm not part of the Reconquista nor will I be. I value the lives of all my fellow man, I'm simply a freelancer along with my dragon, who's been at my side for a long while," Rosina finished. "Let us be off then, daylight will not last forever."

"Agreed, you can follow our group at the back. I can see you have proficiency with a bow, so you can cover our rear."

"Will do," Rosina replied.

The Dragon Catcher and blue Chosen Dragon began to follow the trades group, distancing themselves a bit to be able to converse player to player more privately without much risk of being caught. They still had some distance until they reached Carlisle, but they should arrive before sundown.

Rosina looked to the other player besides her, "See? My speech goes all weird if I'm talking to someone who isn't a player."

"I've noticed," Cora replied. "But we have received some bits of information, it seems the dragon knights of this land might be more akin to dragon riders than the Dragon Knights of Kayla."

"Ah, I was wondering what that reminded me of…" Rosina trailed off in thought.

"Also, there is a civil war between the royalist and a rebel group known as the Reconquista. The latter who seems to be edging into victory."

Rosina nodded, "In Life of a Dragon's old versions when a player had a high enough level they could destroy whole legions of units. Do you believe we could do the same here?"

"Do you think you could take a life?" Cora questioned.

Rosina opened her mouth but then closed it. She could easily kill creeps, but these 'NPCs' were another story entirely.

"I don't know…" She replied.

"I am the same," Cora said. "It also seems like since I'm no longer human, at least in the body, I have a lesser emotional connection to my humanity now… It is concerning…"

"You think you being a dragon will numb you to killing people?"

"Yes…"

"I'm sure it is not like that, just… We'll deal with if only if we are forced too. Unlike the creeps, these people will give up if injured enough, so we only have to disable them if it gets hairy."

Cora nodded, "Right, just because we can don't mean we should."

"Exactly," Rosina said, before looking up and seeing that they were nearing the city. "Besides, we're Heroes, what could go wrong?"

* * *

The Great Kayla Desert, an incredibly large environment that could take away the life of any who dared enter it unprepared. In the times where the desert was an in-game location, players didn't have to worry about such needs like hydration and food because such mechanics were non-existent in Warcraft. But now, with the Transition, such worries happened to be in the forefront of their minds. Thankfully, the players had a great deal of fortitude that came with their new bodies, resistant to the natural elements and with high endurance against many forms of physical bothersome concerns.

That did not mean they were immune, just that they had a great deal higher level of tolerance.

The Mercenary, bronze Chosen Dragon, Noble, and the latter's familiar all rested in the safety of the desert's oasis. The area having no respawning creeps and filled with fresh, clean waters and also the restoring Fountain of Life.

At least, they thought it was a Fountain of Life at first, the normally neutral construct would heal a person's wounds should they drink its contents.

However, the fountain was covered a bit differently, a more bright contrast. Alex Storm volunteered to be the guinea pig, since as a Hero he would be less affected should it prove dangerous, and should perish, would revive.

At least, he hoped he would revive, nobody wanted to test out the 'do you revive on death' triggers or altars.

He also passed the safety net of resurrection.

In a normal game in Life of a Dragon Sequel, Chosen Dragon players below or at level 7 could revive endlessly without concern should they die. Above that level, the one-time revival mechanic would kick in, and should they perish they will be resurrected only once… If they die again, it as game over.

Alex was level 8, so he was now on the normal game mechanic should it still function.

The Chosen Dragon took a sip from the Fountain, inwardly worried of the consequences, but instead felt himself be rejuvenated as his exhaustion faded, mana slowly restoring itself as his minor wounds also closed and healed over. He took another drink before looking back to the rest of the group, grinning in victory.

"It's cool, the fountain restores both health and mana so it's like a weaker Healing Hay," Alex Storm said.

"Thank the Maker," Elizabeth said before carefully placing down Tabitha against the rocky archway formation. "I'll get you some, just stay here for a bit."

The Mercenary walked into the shallow waters, towards the Fountain of Rejuvenation. As she casually continued to it, she blinked once.

The distorted, semi-transparent image of large turtles appeared.

She blinked again.

The image disappeared.

"What the hell…" Elizabeth commented.

"Did you see that?" Alex questioned.

The Mercenary looked at him in shock, "You saw it too?"

"Well, yeah! Kinda hard to not see something like it's trying to spawn in," The Chosen Dragon said.

" **Be cautious, Chosen Dragon, the realm of Kayla progresses quickly…"**

"Oh shit!" Alex yelled in realization as he prepared for combat.

"What is it!?" Elizabeth yelled as she just reached the fountain.

"The map, it's updating!"

Suddenly, four Jaw Turtles, creatures that wouldn't be in any version in Life of a Dragon Sequel until much later, appeared into existence within the confines of the small Oasis. The baby blue scaled creatures were half the size of a grown man, with shells stronger than forged iron with numerous black spikes protruding naturally out the back end of the shell. All the while they had large jaws, no teeth, but they could snap with the power to easily crush bone.

All was quiet for a brief small instance as the creeps were not yet settled into the physical realm, but it soon passed as the Jaw Turtles' aggro kicked in and they charged at the nearest non-creep opponent.

"Cover me! I have an AoE spell!" Elizabeth shouted as her hands glowed with yellow mana, her eyes narrowly as they pinpointed the targeted area of effect she desired to release the ability on. "Monsoon!"

The sky above the Oasis darkened as gray clouds formed through magic, small sprinkles of rain beginning to pour down onto the battlefield before streaks of lightning flashed and struck at each Jaw Turtle, dealing a small portion of damage as the creeps were electrocuted for a tiny moment before they continued to attack without care to their wellbeing.

Such was the nature of Warcraft 3's creeps.

Alex Storm, fully restored by the Fountain of Rejuvenation, activated his Bulky Bulk attribute spell. The bronze Chosen Dragon's form bulked up slightly, increasing his damage, armor, and life regenerating capabilities. He opened his mouth, sparks of electrical energy coursing from within his body to be released in a bolt of lightning as he breathed it out, striking a Jaw Turtle that made its way towards him regardless of being hit multiple times by the Chosen Dragon's normal range attack.

"These things have tough durability!" Elizabeth commented as she continued to channel the Monsoon heir ability, which would continue to send down bright streaks of lightning down on the creeps until she halted the action, was disrupted, or the spell's duration wore out.

A Jaw Turtle approached Elizabeth, and with a quick motion, used its own ability.

Bite, not to be confused with the default attack, it's a basic melee spell that deals a minor portion of damage but also disrupts spell casting.

The Jaw Turtle snapped it's mouth right on Elizabeth's leg.

"Ack, shit!" She yelled as her spell was disrupted and the gray clouds above vanished back into the normal daylight sun and clear skies. The Mercenary slammed a fist downward in reflex to get the creep off of her but soon recoiled as her hand bled from the spikes. "Alex, stun this guy!"

The dragon player turned quickly, his whole body twisting as his wings beat furiously to face the new direction. In a single moment, his whole body lit up with a blue aura before it launched forward, the magic taking the shape of a hammering coursing with electricity that flew in an instant and smashed with a crackling sound against the Jaw Turtle. The creep was sent back as it let go of Elizabeth, it's whole body spazzing from the elemental damage before it recovered.

Alex has used the Storm Bolt ability, a high damage spell that would also stun an opponent for a few seconds. It was his best spell, but the cooldown and mana cost was staggering with the Transition.

He grimaced, he could do one more spell without risk of mana exhaustion.

"Roooar!" The sound of a dragon echoed throughout the Oasis as Tabitha's familiar, Sylphid, tried to claw a nearby Jaw Turtle that had gotten too close to the girl. It worked, causing the Jaw Turtle to be bashed away if only for the moment, but the spikes pierced through the dragon's scales, causing Sylphid's paw to bleed.

"Careful!" Alex shouted, "It seems attacking them with melee always gets you hurt, like a Thorns Aura of sorts!"

Thorns Aura, a default night elf spell in Warcraft 3, it causes a melee attacker to receive a portion of its own damage dealt right back at it.

"Arcane Dust!" Elizabeth shouted another Hero ability, a wave of magical blue dust blasting outward like a wave as three white rings surrounded the sorceress briefly in a display of light, the spell affecting only the creeps, the power behind their attacks weakening to a more manageable level.

Arcane Dust, a debuff spell that causes all nearby units' damage to be lessened by a certain percentage, depending on the level of the spell of course.

"They are too strong for us right now!" Elizabeth yelled, "We should retreat!"

Alex dodged being bit by a Jaw Turtle, "I'm inclined to agree- Huh?"

The Jaw Turtles all vanished in one go as if they were removed from the world in the blink of an eye.

The two players looked to each other.

Tabitha stood up with her staff and asked, "Where they go?"

Alex opened his mouth to speak but didn't.

Elizabeth answered, "No idea, but let's hurry up and drink from the Fountain then get out of here."

* * *

An array of multiple colors decorated his vision, blinding his sight from the clear picture that tried to show itself. The hues, light and dark alike, conflicted in a mass of a swirling vortex, twisting and churning repeatedly without end. It was a breathtaking spectacle with that only he could bear witness to, this dreamlike sequence that blanketed his thoughts with only the play it continues to show. His dreams have been like this since the first night, as if there was a primordial power that lay dormant inside, waiting patiently to be unleashed in a vast explosion of godlike proportions. But, when taking in account his current role, such descriptive explanation was not so unbelievable to think.

Once again, his dream ends with a wave of darkness sweeping up the light, leaving only five bright dots in a sea of black flames. These little points the only luminance within the vast unending ocean of ash and shadow.

 _Chosen Dragons… Chosen Dragons… He is coming… The time draws closer… Chosen Dragons… He returns… The False King._

The voice is of his own, yet he does not speak, nor is he the one who thinks of it.

The dream ends in a flash of light.

He awakens in a bed, in the same white halls and hovering World Editor. The Maker, the Map Maker, a man made God.

But drowsiness clouds him, and a distinct lack of substance despite not needing any gnaws on his mind. The mind and body still remember being mortal, despite its newly acquired status,

He ignores it, turning his attention the World Editor.

Things have changed, quickly he briefly checks over the players. The map itself has been fully updated to version 2.1.

Yet, there were instances where content from future patches leaked into the world. The World Editor was not 2.1, no, he had the Work Map on when he was subjected to the Transition.

The Work Map was what he used to actually work on Life of a Dragon Sequel, the only unprotected file that anyone could edit and change.

Why has he been playing such an old version of the map, version 2.0, when there were three updates since then?

He found it stupid now that he thought of it.

"Wait…" He said to himself, pausing to recheck what he had absently seen while browsing the World Editor.

There were Jaw Turtles, which was a v2.3 creep.

He briefly remembered when he and his testing group had fought against Jaw Turtles, the creeps were tough and dangerous in big groups if you were below level 12, even if you partnered with another player.

Another leak, the Map Editor's content was dripping bits and pieces of other versions into the world, all the while slowly updating to the next version completely. At least it was only leaking pre-placed objects and terrain, only when it fully updated did the triggers change in accordance.

"Still, the players aren't ready for that…" The Map Maker said, glancing over to the battery.

A steady 94%.

He bit his lip, "I can afford this."

He selected all four Jaw Turtles currently in combat, the players were taking hits yet the damage they dealt in return didn't do much against the creeps just yet.

He pressed the delete key, removing all four Jaw Turtles from existence instantly. It made the Players confused but they are now fine, the respawn triggers didn't exist yet for the turtles until v2.3.

He checked the battery.

71%.

That took out a chunk, but he's still in the good zone.

"Wonder where Xaria went…" He trailed off as he got to work on the Map Editor once more, carefully watching the Players status.

* * *

Current Status:

Chosen Dragon Player 1: Saito Hiraga - Alive - Dragonet (Agility) Level 11

Chosen Dragon Player 2: Alex Storm - Alive - Bronze Dragonet (Strength) Level 8

Chosen Dragon Player 3: Asuna Godiva - Alive - Nether Dragonet (Strength) Level 10

Chosen Dragon Player 4: Artos Archway - Alive - Green Dragonet (Agility) Level 8

Chosen Dragon Player 5: Cora Rune - Alive - Blue Dragonet (Intelligence) Level 10

Dragon Slayer Player 6: Celdrahil - Alive - Slayer Level 8

Dragon Catcher Player 7: Rosina - Alive - Catcher Level 12

The Human Kingdom Player 8: Aylmer and Abigail - Alive - King Level 3, Princess Level [Error]

The Fel Empire Player 9: Grom - Alive - King of Fel Empire Level 7

Mercenary Player 10: Elizabeth Loyal - Alive - Sorceress Level 7

Observer Map Maker: Map Maker - Alive - The World Editor


	26. Chapter 26

**Author's Note** : Bwahahaha! The story builds if you guys/gals can't recall. A roleplay map on Warcraft 3 tends to have references to outside material. In fact, Life of a Dragon Sequel has a few secret stuff from outside series… Now put that into perspective when concerning the premise of this story.

Oh, the reviews! I'll answer them right now! I should start doing it like this more often.

 **Duesal Bladesinger:** Yes… Yes… Let the fear build up. Let it consume you until the very thing you fear becomes reality!

 **AsahinaTora** : Perhaps, we know little of how the Map Maker's current powers work outside of it being the World Editor. Perhaps the reason the World Editor can slowly regenerate battery is because of the Kayla Kingdom's belief in the Maker?

 **Qinlongfei** : Oh goodie! I looooove these long reviews like this one. So much positive and also criticism mixed within it. I haven't yet fully established everyone's personalities, to be honest, and only snipping out bits and pieces of character backgrounds (Like Grom's War Veteran status). Celdrahil, well, like or hate, to be honest, some people can really understand where's he getting at, but he's also naive in his own way like you so stated. The story does jump around, and I've said some events that may seem to have been discarded, but do not worry, I haven't forgotten them. There's a large character cast, but it's getting better as the players begin to join together. Thank you so much for reading so many times! I hope you Fav (or follow) to be better able to know when the next chapter releases!

Now, Enjoy everyone!

P.S. For convenience, all items will be capitalized to differentiate from their original namesakes. Like Meat as in the item, and meat as in the normal animal substance.

* * *

Life of a Zero Dragon

Chapter 26: Chronicles of Fanatics and the Arcane

The Map Maker was frustrated, but it wasn't ignorance or anger towards anyone within the world of Kayla nor Halkeginia, but rather the non-responsive and limited actions he could do with the World Editor. If he didn't have to constantly be worried about the battery life, he was quite confident he could have all the players safe and sound, for the duration of how long it would take him to figure out some sort of solution to getting them back to Earth. But even if that were the case, the World Editor's functions were refusing him in certain aspects, such as being able to reconfigure the triggers he had created prior to the Transition.

Yeah, he's been naming this whole ordeal the 'Transition', he had to admit the players sure did know how to put a title on things.

Maybe he had been annoyed too much, though, the white halls of whatever place this was did nothing to calm him down whatsoever.

Not to mention, he could really use a soda right now. Heck, coffee, sweets, his mom's cooking! Ugh, he missed his mother's cooking so much right now.

He missed his family.

The Map Maker shook himself out of his stupor, "I can't worry about myself right now… Focus, focus on the players and finding a way home…"

They relied on him, even if they didn't know if the Map Maker also arrived with them. He has already saved them from a few mishaps…

The hostile native elves attacking Alex…

Cora and Rosina meeting together per his message…

Saito surviving his encounter with the golem…

The Jaw Turtles being removed to save Elizabeth and Alex…

A boost of resources to both Empire and Kingdom, not that they knew that, but he has given them a starting bonus of gold and lumber.

The Map Maker had carefully watched over the battles concerning the players fighting much stronger adversaries. If the problem got too much for the player to handle, he would step in, regardless of the World Editor's current battery life.

He has yet to dip below 50%, he's always been a conservative person.

Still, seeing how all the players were relatively safe in their current locations or the range of their abilities transcended any threats, he began working on the current predicament.

The Map Maker disliked how Saito Hiraga had not become a color, or element, like his fellow Chosen Dragon players.

The non-elemental's position put him in closer proximity to a particular item, though, which the Maker shall use to his advantage.

Plus, that specific color matched very well with his companion.

Of course, writing the damn trigger necessary to allow a trigger whose blocked from his editing prowess had proven to be difficult as hell.

Which is why he was frustrated in the first place.

"Fucking triggers, work damn it!"

How he wished he could just kick the damn thing to make it work.

* * *

There was a cold wind that breezed across the plains from the south, it caused some discomfort to his partner, Louise Valliere, but nothing serious. That was until they came upon the reason why there was low-temperature wind as they come upon a large mountainous region of snow and ice. Logically speaking, the sudden transition from a grassland, even if it was the season of Fall, to a freezing landscape of towering mountains could be considered impossible.

Of course, logic was hanged outside the window when it came to the game mechanics of Warcraft 3.

"Erisdar," Louise began to say, catching his attention.

He looked at her, "Yeah, Louise?" Saito Hiraga, also known as Erisdar, questioned.

"Please tell me we are not going through there!" She exclaimed, the voice of displeasure clearly evident as she pointed towards the white-blanketed biome in front of them.

"Mmh… I don't know yet," He answered truthfully, "But here's a thought, I can travel very quickly using my Blink ability. How about I check to see if there is anything inside the environment that will actually be worthwhile to travel in towards."

Louise mulled over the idea, then replied. "Very well, I will wait here. Don't take too long!" She said as she walked over to a small boulder and sat on it, resting her legs from the long trek beforehand.

"As you wish, master," He said sarcastically, but the joke was not lost on the pink-haired girl who smiled briefly at the playful reply.

He glanced back towards the mountains, their bodies of earth covered peak to base with snow and rock. But the architect of nature didn't leave them bare, below the mountains were a small mix of open ground and snow-covered trees along with shaped ice crystals, thorny bushes, and slick, dark blue rocks.

It was familiar to him.

But Saito couldn't pinpoint what was familiar about it.

He took a look back at Louise, making sure that she would be safe without him. There were no signs of animals nor creeps for miles, as there was also no sign of civilization. Judging that she would be fine, Saito activated his Blink ability.

He disappeared with a light blue flash, reappearing inside the icy cold region. The snowfall that occupied it dripped onto his non-elemental scales, but did little to bother him.

"Hm, I guess the weather doesn't really affect me… Cool," He commented on the fact as he faced upward, the towering mountains looming overhead. "Should probably get higher, that way I can see a wide range…"

He reasoned that he could see it.

Saito Hiraga had already maxed the level of his Blink ability, so it only took a single second for the cooldown to finish. While having this ability made for quick getaways, unfortunately, it was useless in a combat scenario with his normal moving partner who couldn't teleport like he could.

Not to his knowledge anyway.

Once again, his vanished and appeared with a burst of light, arriving at a higher altitude. The first player continued this course of action for the next few minutes before arriving at a satisfying height.

He looked down.

"Shit!" He exclaimed as he reeled back against the mountain wall, his breathing becoming erratic before the Chosen Dragon calmed down enough to glance back downward. "I didn't realize how high I got in such a short time… Blink is overpowered…" He said.

He could see far into the horizon, a large region of mountains indeed, but also an equally huge area of flat grounds with trees, flora, and thankfully little to no creatures… At least to his eye. But ignoring the vast beauty, he kept scouring the landscape with his sight for anything, in particular, some sign of life that wasn't just the natural plant life or rock formations.

"Wait," He glanced back to a particular spot he glossed over, "Is that a… Oh my goodness it is! Winterfall Town!"

He could recognize the shape and building architecture from here, those were Warcraft 3 buildings, which means it was a piece of civilization from Life of a Dragon Sequel.

"Looks bigger than in the map, couple new buildings too… Still surrounded by a few towers, though can't see any NPCs from here…" He trailed off, "Still this is great, we can rest safely there!"

Not to mention it was a human town, so Louise should feel much more comfortable than in Moonshine Grove.

He quickly attempted to memorize the shortest path, particularly putting any landmarks in his mind. Saito couldn't help but be glad that unlike reality, the flora decoration didn't repeat itself or appear entirely identical to nearby plant life. Sure, the Transition had done a number of the region, there were countless changes that he couldn't identify, spread throughout the region to make it be more like it was a real place.

But he could still pinpoint the differences, player knowledge of the region, which he now remembered to be named as Northern Mountains, helped in that regard.

He utilized his Blink ability once more, traversing down the high tops to ground level in a minute or two, then hovered his way over to where Louise rested, his wings beating with the breeze that gave him lift.

Saito estimated that, on foot, it would take roughly half an hour on the shortest route to reach Winterfall Town. The travel time between places in Life of a Dragon Sequel was drastically shorter than Halkeginia, though to be honest, a large portion of the map had been carved into a Kingdom Road by the Human Kingdom, and ship travel was a huge blessing between Arcantis and Desert City.

He wondered if those cities, heck, the capital, had also transferred over to this world. It wouldn't be too surprising now considering he's already seen Orangebark Forest, Moonshine Grove, and now Winterfall Town.

Did all of the map transfer?

In a flash, he appeared in front of Louise.

"By Brimir!" The young female mage fell right off the stone boulder due to his sudden appearance.

"Uh, you okay?" Saito asked in concern.

The human girl got back on her feet, dusting off the dirt and grass that stuck to her academy uniform. "I'm fine, you just surprised me…" Louise trailed off in answer before looking to him. "Anything?"

"Good news found a human town half an hour from here." He answered.

"Finally," Louise breathed a sigh of relief. "Wait, what's the bad news, Erisdar?"

"It's right through the Northern Mountains, ya know, the place filled with snow and ice," The player answered her.

"... I don't suppose you have any sort of special item to block out the cold?" Louise said with a hopeful tone.

"Uh… Nope," He replied.

"Darn!"

The crunching noise that occupied Louise Valliere steps would have been pleasant to hear if not for the below freezing temperature that threatened to turn the young mage into an icicle decoration. At least, that is what the sensation felt like to the pink-haired girl as she walked along the pathway that her familiar, Erisdar, guided her through.

Not only was the ground below her feet blanketed by snow, but her clothes were also slowly becoming a white tint as the flakes falling from above began to slowly cover her shoulders and hair with the frozen water particles. The academy uniform did little to shelter or warm the noble from the winter conditions, and while the girl knew of a few spells that could improve her condition, Louise didn't have any hope of successfully casting any of them whatsoever.

Louise Françoise Le Blanc De La Valliere, shortened to Louise Valliere for convenience, huffed out a breath of air, it's visible from staying in the air just before her mouth before vanishing as the condensation dissipated.

"You alright?" Erisdar questioned in concern.

"N-no, it's freezing! I'm going to die from frostbite at this rate!" Louise said, her teeth chattering and body shivering as it tried to retain warmth in the cold atmosphere.

"Mmh… Knowing the Winter Survival Warcraft map it might be similar to how this weather applies to locals…"

Her familiar was speaking gibberish again.

"I don't care about whatever that is, h-how much further till we r-reach the town!" She shouted.

'Brimir, it never got this cold in Tristian!' She thought to herself.

"Eat another slice of the bread," Erisdar strangely said.

"Huh?" Louise said, before shouting, "I'm cold! Not hungry you idiot familiar!"

The Chosen Dragon waved his paws in front of him, "I'm only giving a suggestion, Louise! Try it, just a slice! It might make you warm again!"

Well, she was really cold, better than trudging through the snow.

Louise reached for the Item, Bread, and pulled it into view. All it said was that I would restore her hit points, whatever that strange term meant. She tore off a slice and bit into it.

Suddenly a warmth enveloped her body, easing her discomfort. She swallowed the piece and blinked at the miraculous bread slice in her hand.

"What... But… It's not even hot food!" Louise exclaimed in surprise.

"Mmh, it might be that map locations get confused on characters, not from Life of a Dragon… So it's like her hit points go down slowly in the temperature…"

"Erisdar!" Louise shouted him out of his stupor, "You mumble on about stuff after we get to town… But, thanks for the idea, however, we don't have that much Bread left!"

He nodded, "Very true, too bad I can't carry you, would've been much better if I could use Fast Very Fast to get there quickly."

Louise pouted in annoyance before gripping the Bread tightly and forcing her way through the snow and ice-filled terrain. 'Probably another of his abilities…' She trailed off in thought, a slight feeling of envy passing over her.

'Even my familiar has more spells than me…' The thought went through her head before she shook it away. 'No! Remember, the familiar represents their master. Erisdar having so many skills just shows how great I will become! Chosen Dragon or not!'

Still, Erisdar being a Chosen Dragon, which's implications probably far exceed her current knowledge on the subject, gave her a sense of pride of being able to summon such an important, and potentially powerful, familiar.

'Partner, he's my partner…' She must remember to keep the two terms separate, Erisdar was so much more than a mere familiar.

"Louise... Louise, Louise!"

The third daughter of the Valliere looked towards her familiar, "What is it?"

"Look ahead," The Chosen Dragon stated, pointing a claw towards the direction mentioned.

The mage glanced upward and took immediate notice of the not-so-distant town now just a small walkways from their position. She could already see a number of tall, stone towers arching over the town in a protective watch, with small granite walls defended the areas of town not graced with the natural border created by the large mountain the town was built aside of. Louise noticed that there were two primary entrances into the town, one that transitioned straight into the cold wilderness, while the other held a stone-paved road that led out of town and out the south.

"Winterfall Town, quite appropriately named is it not?" Erisdar said.

The reminder that it was winter in this region brought the numbing cold sensation back into the forefront of her mind.

"Sheesh, Erisdar, you had to remind me…" Louise trailed off, looking longingly at the steam rising from the chimneys that the odd architectured buildings emit. "Let's get there already!"

"Hai, hai, master," Erisdar replied.

Louise had no idea what 'hai' meant, but if that sarcastic tone had anything to say, is that it mocked her.

Ugh, she's getting cold again, no time to worry about some sarcastic tone!

Another five, or ten, minutes later our two protagonists finally enter the visional range of Winterfall's town guards, one of which raised his hand in greeting as both Louise and Erisdar approached the entrance.

"Greetings traveler and dragon, welcome to Winterfall."

The other guard then said, "Disrespect the law, and you disrespect me."

Louise was about to respond, but Erisdar bumped himself against her, he nodded to the guards and guided Louise into the town. They paid little heed to his visit as if such a thing was a normal occurrence.

Winterfall Town, well, if Louise had one word, to sum up what she thought about the small piece of civilization, it would be 'quaint'. Winterfall was far from the massive cities or rich constructions of Tristain. The lands of the Valliere and the villages within their domain outmatched Winterfall entirely, this shortcoming town did seem very peaceful, though. There was a small marketplace in the midst of the town, where citizens and traders conjoined to sell goods. There was the main market building, which both she and Erisdar passed by entirely, but Louise couldn't pinpoint what exactly it sold without having to go into the building itself.

"It sells items, like the ring of protection, but they're consumables and not permanent bonuses," Erisdar answered her curiosity.

'It sells items, more like magical artifacts…' Louise thought, her eyes glancing down at the ring that was equipped on her finger. It continued to passively provide a small layer of protection unnoticeable to even her.

They continued through the town, the young mage watching as children played around in the small empty field of snow in the middle of the town, while many commoners conversed about their daily activities or rumors. She absently followed Erisdar while she took in the new sight of this strange town who's pink-hued flags wavered in the wind.

They proceeded and came upon a man in front of some huge shrine that Louise couldn't identify whom it was towards.

But the words the man spoke, well, that was entirely a different story.

"Maker the mighty! Maker the unerring! Maker the unassailable! To you we give praise! We are but maggots, writhing in the filth of our own corruption! While you look down upon us, placed on the throne in the white halls! We are unworthy, yet your kindness reaches down to all those who worship your transcendent state! Filling us with your love! Dragons, elves, and man hold nothing in comparison to your glory!"

'What sort of madness is this man talking about?' Louise Valliere thought to herself, inner disgust at the man's praise of some… Some… False god!

She wanted to give him a piece of her mind, correct his falsehood and make him praise the true god, Brimir!

"Ah, the inn! We can rest here tonight in a room," Erisdar said, a bit of surprise in his voice, as if he never expected such a building to actually be here.

"I'll be right back!" Louise exclaimed with anger.

"Sure, wait, what? Louise?!" Erisdar replied in shock as he turned around to see her practically stomping towards the fanatic worshipper of The Maker.

"Rise up! Rise up sons and daughters of the Maker! Rise up dragons of Kayla! Rise against the incursion of demons by the false king, Utheran! Embrace The Maker's words and scripts! He who aided the Chosen Dragons in the defeat of the demon king! We are to inherit his land which he created for us all, to make homes in the far reaches of Kayla and the new horizon that no doubt, The Maker broadened for us to grasp!"

"Hey, you!" Louise shouted as she approached the man.

The man, now identified to be dressed in some long, green robe with a hood, looks to the pink-haired girl.

"You have come, you have come to hear the word of the Maker!"

"No, I've come to educate you, you pagan savage!" Louise immediately goes on the offense. "The true god is-"

"Be silent, devil worshipper of Utheran! The Maker's wrath take you, but you can still be brought to his light and enter the white halls of the afterlife! The Maker is merciful! The Maker loves all! He will forgive your transgression if you leave your false god and join us in the worship of The Maker!"

"D-devil worshipper? I do not follow some demon!" Louise retorted in disgust.

"Then, a follower of Xaria, you must realize your error! The elven goddess cares little of man! The Maker grants all equal opportunity under him! His white halls open to all! It was The Maker who granted the world it's magic and provided life to its creatures!"

"I have you know that it was-"

"Still you walk upon the split road! But do not forget, that you always can change and walk towards The Maker! He who is grand! He who protects us!"

Louise was about to speak again but stopped abruptly was she clutched her leg.

"Ow!" She shouted as she glanced behind to see Erisdar, "Why you scratch me?" She questioned in frustration.

"You won't get anywhere with this fanatic, Louise, come on and let's go rest."

"Shut up, I'll show him!" Louise exclaimed and glanced right back at the man. "The true god is Brimir, not some upstart Maker you've conjured up in that twisted imagination!"

The man narrowed his eyes, "Do not speak of The Maker like some made up god! He is as real as the air you breathe! His glory is apparent all around us! Followers of the Maker have been known to defeat legions of deadly foes under his divine protection!"

Erisdar tried to explain, "They were Heroes-"

"Then I'll show you the true power of Brimir! He's defeated scores of elves and saved all of mankind! Giving us magic and creating the royal bloodlines and nobility!" She drew her wand.

"Uh, Louise!" Erisdar said in a panic, "Bad place!"

"Worshipper of Brimir, your words are empty without proof! Even the brigands on the road will laugh at your incompetence and foolish belief!"

"Then I'll just have to go there and blast them apart with magic granted by Brimir!" Louise hastily turned and stomped her way to the southern exit of Winterfall Town.

Erisdar chased after all, "What are you doing Louise?"

"I'm proving the fact that Brimir is real and that man can forget about his dumb fake god!" The young mage explained harshly.

"This is stupid, it's just a religion!"

"You don't understand Erisdar! You might know about a lot of things, but I know much more when it comes to culture and Brimir!"

"Don't you have free worship?" Erisdar asked.

"There is only Brimir," Louise remained stubborn on the fact.

"Yeah, but…" He trailed off as they left the safety of Winterfall Town, following along the road that led south. "We just got there…"

Louise Valliere was determined, her faith in Brimir was on the line. The young mage, only capable of making small explosions, trudged through the snow above the stone-paved road. She barely took notice of the amount of snow decreased and the environment changed around her to that of a large forest with dark blue and green trees, not covered in snow.

It was a radical change, but they had now left the Northern Mountains and entered the region of the Fall Forest.

"This looks familiar…" Erisdar trailed off as he took notice of the climate change, the freezing weather no longer snowing, the temperature now only a mild chill.

"Where are these supposed brigands anyway?" Louise questioned, starting to calm down a bit and think of how ridiculous she was being. "I… I was really frustrated wasn't I?"

"Maybe? You are pretty tired I can guess, so it probably made you more easily angered," Erisdar said. "This isn't Halkeginia, Louise, this is Kayla. Different place with different people."

"Kayla?" Louise questioned, she couldn't recall if he mentioned that before or not.

She finally stopped walked, they were in the midst of the road surrounded by forest, there was a crumbling pathway that led somewhere, most likely worn by nature, unlike the well-kept road they stood, or hovered in Erisdar's case, above.

"Yeah, it can be a pretty dangerous place-"

That's when three individuals, garbed in brown clothing from leather to cloth, came out of the treeline.

Louise gripped her wand, "Where they come from all the sudden?!"

"Probably spawned in, I think I remember now, this is where the ambush usually happens."

"Ambush!?" Louise shouted.

A brigand holding a hatchet and a shield charged forward, yelling, "Never should have come here!"

Erisdar arched a brow, "Why do I feel like I'm missing some sort of reference?"

The Chosen Dragon disappeared in a flash of blue light, before appearing behind the brigand group, attacking the one furthest back, a type of mage with a staff. He struck hard twice with his paws, the familiar's claws tearing through the cloth easily and fortunately critically wounding the man who fell down, bleeding out from his injuries.

Louise Valliere shook herself back into focus and raised her wand at the incoming brigand. She could feel her willpower simmer underneath, the young girl gathered it together and channeled it into the spell she knew best. Discarding the necessary chant as she knew them to be worthless in her incompetence at spellcraft.

"Fireball!" She shouted.

An explosion struck the brigand, who didn't even have to raise his shield in defense. The man was knocked off his feet, smoke pillaring from the front of his leather armor, but he recovered after a short while and stood right back up, clenching his teeth in annoyance.

"She's some sort of emissary, kill her quickly!" The brigand shouted.

'Emissary, but that… No time!' Louise thought as she gripped her wand with both hands and recalled her willpower once more.

Not that she knew the term, Emissary meant a type of elemental custom spellcaster in Life of a Dragon Sequel.

"Fireball!" She felt her willpower drain by a small margin, but she either always had considerable reserves or the explosion cost little to nothing.

A black smudge of smoke and kinetic force impacted once against the same brigand, the same who collapsed backward as his weapon flew right out of his reach and his chest plate splintered apart from the deadly force.

Then a flash of blue light, Erisdar hovered right over the man, and he brought his jaws right over his skull, crushing it before moving in front of Louise.

The noble would probably have been disgusted and vomiting was it not for the adrenaline pumping through her body and the threat of death still lingering from the remaining enemy.

"Say your prayers!" The last brigand said, who held a lance in his hand and a few others tied to his backside. "

"Fast Very Fast," Erisdar muttered under his breath, and with a sudden burst of winds wrapping around his body, his speed increased drastically.

The brigand thrower thrust the lance into the air, which Erisdar dodged with both his accelerated speed and his innate Hatchling Instinct. Louise barely avoided being hit by it, only being missed by the fact that foe wasn't aiming for her. Another lance was thrown, this time gazing the Chosen Dragon's side, a burst of greenish liquid surrounding the dragon's injury being combined by the leaking red blood.

"Did he just poison my dragon?!" Louise shouted in both anger and concern, pointing her wand at the brigand thrower's direction. "Take this, Fireball!"

It hit, her attack stunning the brigand and allowing Erisdar to tear him apart with tooth and claw.

Louise rushed over to Erisdar, "Are you alright, you aren't allowed to die!" She shouted.

"I'm fine, Louise, it's just minor poison, already gone, see?" He pointed a claw towards the wound, while it still lingered, the green liquid had already vanished and the wound already very slowly began to heal thanks to the Chosen Dragon's natural healing.

"How?" She questioned.

"The poison these brigands used is very weak, meant to deal… Um, hurt you over time for only a very short duration, they usually use this kind of poison to force you into submission, it can't kill you whatsoever. It can only last with repeated appliance of it," He explained.

She thought over it, "Alright… Thank, Brimir… I was… I was stupid, we can return to Winterfall. I won't do something like that again, it's not befitting of a noble!" Louise stated.

"Right, we'll- Oh," He suddenly went quiet.

"What is it? More brigands?" Louise had kept her wand in her hand just in case, instead of sheathing it.

"No, I think I see some sort of item, hidden in the bush," The non-elemental dragonet hovered over there and rummaged into the foliage before coming back with nothing.

"Um… So it was nothing…?" Louise questioned.

"I got it," Erisdar said before a large stone appeared before him into existence. "It just went into my inventory… It's called an Arcane Core, or at least that is what it says."

"Arcane Core…?" She said, looking at it.

The rock, stone, or some sort of gem… She couldn't properly describe what it was. It was more accurate to call it a fusion of the three, with cracks of purple and red energy that held a deep glow that practically simmered with magical energy.

Erisdar blinked as he stared at it… "Yes, P?" He strangely said.

The Arcane Core suddenly reacted as it's entire form burst with light before it turned into magical energy and rushed right at the non-elemental dragon. Erisdar clearly didn't expect this, but his entire figure was wrapped around with the core's energy. He landed on his feet as his scales shone with a bright intensity, causing Louise to cover her eyes in reflex. Erisdar's scales began to turn, it's dull gray hue transforming into a beautiful shade of lavender purple, his size increased only by a small margin, around nearly two-quarters of the young mage's height, but larger than her width entirely.

The light dimmed, the Arcane Core had vanished entirely.

Louise looked.

She couldn't help but smile.

'Erisdar… You truly are a dragon of the Valliere.'

Erisdar was now a Purple Dragon.

* * *

Current Status:

Chosen Dragon Player 1: Saito Hiraga - Alive - Purple Dragonet (Agility) Level 11

Chosen Dragon Player 2: Alex Storm - Alive - Bronze Dragonet (Strength) Level 8

Chosen Dragon Player 3: Asuna Godiva - Alive - Nether Dragonet (Strength) Level 10

Chosen Dragon Player 4: Artos Archway - Alive - Green Dragonet (Agility) Level 8

Chosen Dragon Player 5: Cora Rune - Alive - Blue Dragonet (Intelligence) Level 10

Dragon Slayer Player 6: Celdrahil - Alive - Slayer Level 8

Dragon Catcher Player 7: Rosina - Alive - Catcher Level 12

The Human Kingdom Player 8: Aylmer and Abigail - Alive - King Level 3, Princess Level [Error]

The Fel Empire Player 9: Grom - Alive - King of Fel Empire Level 7

Mercenary Player 10: Elizabeth Loyal - Alive - Sorceress Level 7

Observer Map Maker: Map Maker - Alive - The World Editor


	27. Chapter 27

**Author's Note** : A short one today, just an update on the Warcraft 3 map. Life of a Dragon Sequel v2.3 is almost complete, reaching the 75% mark of as writing this. The Main Story Route is quite the challenge, but I'm having fun with it along with my testers.

 **Shirosaki Kizuro:** Yeah, I can see how Purple Dragons can remind you of Spyro! However, it's an entirely different lore with different abilities for Purple Dragons of Kayla. Still, Spyro is awesome!

 **Victor John Foxfire:** The irony of the situation is not lost on both you and me apparently, haha. Do not fret though! Louise will be getting some proper character development, it's just that you can't expect her to change in only a week (or two) in the story. Without Saito as a human, Siesta does not meet the same fate as her cannon counterpart of a lust-filled individual, we haven't seen much of her yet, but in the future, we will.

 **DeathstrokeNorris:** Depending on if I need to do a lot of exposition, I might obligate to do single long chapters for a single group of characters instead of multiple groups like usual.

 **Qinlongfei:** As I said to Victor, Louise will get character development. As for the Celdrahil, he too will get his own development. We just haven't seen much of him yet to know his true personality.

 **Aline1:** Yes, the Church, the Pope, and most likely many commoners are relatively loose and free when concerning other religions. However, it's not the Church that's the issue, rather its followers. Countless times in both historical and in the novels it was the followers that caused the near (or total) heretical actions against their fellow man by using religion (or difference of religion) as an excuse or reason.

Enjoy the chapter everyone!

* * *

Life of a Zero Dragon

Chapter 27: The Warchief; The Prince

The entrance into the wooden hut billowed from the incoming red-skinned orc, three meters tall, arriving into the large make-shift construct. The building made from wood and stone, collected from both the local resources and some surviving resources gleaned from the destroyed port city of La Rochelle, stood formidably decorated with odd spiked ends in a manner similar to World of Warcraft's Razor Hill. The architectural design would be universally recognizable to any player, no matter the time spent, of the Warcraft universe.

To the Empire, it was just a style made in the designs of their homeworld. A crude, rudimentary building that went for efficiency than a luxury to fight the now gone demons that invaded their world many years ago. A building that replaced their cultural merits destroyed by those very demonic creatures.

In any case, the red orc that entered the glorified hut was none other than the Warchief, the Fel King, himself.

Grom.

Otherwise known as the tenth player within Life of a Dragon Sequel. A human transported into the body of an orc leader.

The player himself sighed in discontent and made his way to the entrance hallway into the large room. There, within its confines, stood possibly the two closest NPCs he could consider friends since becoming the Warchief of the Fel Empire. But, in the middle of the room, slept a small human girl with short-cut hair and amber eyes, quietly breathing while resting in a bed of hides and furs.

Grom looked to the first orc, his pseudo-advisor to all things mana and magic related within the Fel Empire. An orc who himself was a user of the mystical ways, a shaman.

"Tha'Gar," Grom spoke his name, getting the shaman's attention. "Any luck?"

The player motioned his head towards the sleeping young human girl in the room, referring to her.

Tha'Gar shook his head, "Apologies, Warchief, but I could not accomplish the task you assigned to me. The youngling's broken state remains."

The Warchief nodded grimly in acceptance, then glanced towards the second orc, an equally sized orc-like him with a giant two-handed war ax attached to his backside.

This was the very same Fel Veteran that he had met a few days ago.

"Takor," He said. "Since my assigning as the caretaker, for this particular child, has there been any odd occurrences outside of Tha'Gar's spiritual arts?" Grom questioned.

"There was only one, Warchief," Takor answered truthfully.

"As a veteran and warrior, I have seen many great things in my lifetime," Takor began. "In the early days of the Empire, when the demons had just begun their invasion and the Empire's cities stood proudly and its people strong, there were a few orcs who were… Somewhat lacking in self-desire."

"Self-desire?" Grom questioned in confusion. "How is this youngling related to this?"

"It's entirely related, even more so, my Warchief," Takor explained and then pointed his finger at the girl. "The youngling does not carry any within, she wishes nothing for herself and doesn't carry the spark of self like the other survivors we pulled from the ashes."

Grom understood, he likened it to the soldiers back on Earth. In that way, he and the child were similar. His desire for anything and himself had been torn asunder after traumatic experiences such as when he first killed a fellow human being by gunshot, or escaped near death and coming to terms with his actions.

With time, he had recovered and had been honorably discharged.

But the memories, those memories still haunted him now and then, even if they became less frequent, every now and then one would return.

Had the child, this young girl, had her own sense of self-rendered by being the only survivor in the distinct they found her in? It would be quite the horrifying discovery to know you were the only living person to escape and live in what could equivalent to a whole neighborhood.

"I understand, anything else you two?" Grom asked.

The shaman waved a hand, "There was one thing, Warchief, that I discovered while performing a spiritual analysis on the… girl." It took Tha'Gar a second to recall the proper term.

The player laid his hand lazily on the handle of his katana, his form slumping a bit in relaxing from a day's work outside. "What is it?"

"The child has magic, a sort of core of magical energy similar to the noble we had captured a few days prior," The shaman explained. "But... "

"But what, Tha'Gar?" Grom said.

"Wel… It's hard to explain, but the core of energy seems to have shattered inside her body, pieces of it forming into multiple lines that channel mana. It's likely if the girl had ever used the magic of the local's variant, she would never be able to again."

"How so, if it's channeling mana it should be fine?" Grom questioned about this, as he was sure the magical energy was pretty universal. The Warcraft Units and the locals still both used mana, right?

"No entirely, Warchief. The local's variant of magic seems to be… A bit different than mana. Incredibly similar, nearly identical at first glance in fact, but a deep look will reveal the hidden signs between the two." Tha'Gar finished.

"Mmh… What are the odds the child can use mana-based spells then?" Grom said.

"You sure that's wise?" Takor spoke in a comment, "It's likely any clan or family members for this youngling will claim her."

"I'll make the decisions here, and if they do then they are welcomed to. They are her kin, after all. Now, shaman, your thoughts?"

The shaman hummed in thought for a brief moment. "It's is possible the youngling can use mana spells, but a small lesson might be in order to experiment on this claim."

"Recommendations?"

"Depends, the human's choices on which branch of spellcraft are her own. Whether it'll be shamanism, warlock, or possibly your own. Though I doubt the youngling can handle Hero spellcraft."

The orc spoke the term, Hero, with the weight of an entirely different spellcraft altogether, as if it was a higher, more advanced level.

Takor shrugged, "If you make this decision, Warchief, I will support you. There is some low-cost spellcraft that some of your warriors can also do, they are easier than those of which spellcasters dedicate themselves towards."

"I concur, Warchief," Tha'Gar said. "The spellcraft used by our warriors are easier, to begin with, many spellcasters such as myself start off as warriors and branch off from there."

There was a noise that suddenly echoed, it was foreign to everyone but a particular player.

Grom blinked in surprise, "A reveal spell?" He questioned.

He knew the reveal spell to be used by two buildings in Life of a Dragon Sequel. The first being the goblin observatory, a neutral building that would reveal a location for a set gold price. The second, well, that was the arcane towers within the Human Kingdom of Kayla's control.

Either way, he didn't have any clue who exactly had set a reveal spell over them. They show a clear vision of a targeted area for only a few, brief seconds.

"I will take your suggestions into consideration, until then, Tha'Gar I need you to gather a few of our spellcasters of both shaman and warlock and assign each to a band of warriors," Grom commanded. "In the meantime, Takor, I need you to bring together those warriors and assign them into easily defensible locations. Once you have done so, return to me here. I will keep our broken child company."

"Yes, Warchief!"

"Swobu, Warchief!"

The two fel orcs left the building, following their leader's commands.

Grom let out a long, drawn out breath of relief. The Fel King taking a few steps back before slumping restfully into a chair, his weapon, the artifact item, Searing Blade, lying against him. His mind starting to wander before it was suddenly interrupted.

"Why defense?" The voice of a young girl spoke out.

The Warchief blinked before looking down to see the red-haired child, possibly nine or ten years of age, a monotoned expression looking at him.

In fact, ever since he had rescued the young girl, the child had been an oddity. While he expected it to be a similar case to his own experiences after traumatic events like during his days as a soldier on Earth, the emotions of the girl were a bit screwed. Not in a sense that she was emotionless, but that her expressions had little weight.

It was like you took someone's normal emotions, who were normally at 100% volume, and then cranked it down to only 50%.

There were slight peaks, however, when it returned to its normal rate.

The child had a habit of never, ever rejecting anyone. She always helped anyone who made a request of her.

"It's just a precaution, Sarah," He said. "There are dangerous things out there."

There was also that, the girl… Didn't know her name. So he gave her one in an effort to give her a sense of self, which only helped a bit, but it was better than nothing.

Heck, she had no memories.

"Do you remember anything yet?" Grom asked, "I remember someone calling out for their mother and its voice was similar to your own, right before we killed Osgoth."

Sarah looked at him, blinking once or twice, before responding. "No, I don't remember anything. Is that bad?"

"Well… I don't really know if it's bad or not, but I'm sure you will recover."

"Why don't you know everything?" Sarah asked.

Grom rubbed his chin, "Um… You see, not even the wisest, or smartest person in the world can know everything. There is only so much one can see in their lifetime, and too big a world. Even if you were there for one event, somewhere else an equally important event is occurring that you missed out on. This means you don't know what happened over there."

"Okay," The child responded. "I heard Tha'Gar that I can do magic like you."

"We don't know entirely yet, but it's possible…" He trailed off.

"Can you teach me magic, to do magic like you?" Sarah asked.

"Huh?" He responded in slight shock, was she actually wanting something now? It was a nice progress to her recovery, but he doubted that she could learn Hero abilities. "I can try, but… You have to know this very important fact, Sarah."

"What's that?" She questioned.

"To be a spellcaster is to walk side by side with difficulties," He explained, recalling all he knew about mana and spells since arriving, like the dreaded mana exhaustion. "A person who uses mana does so for many things, but for me, it's to help others."

"Okay, I understand."

"I will teach you later, but for now, I need some rest."

"Can I go out around camp and help?"

"Sure, but be back before dusk."

* * *

On top the high top towers that stand watch protectively around the large, royal castle, pink-hued banners billowed in the breeze. The Prince of Kayla, Aylmer, walked within the confines of the Capital City, lost in thought as he wandered. His younger sibling, Abigail, was currently not with him at this current moment of time. The Prince had been planning, to the best of his ability, of what he should accomplish next.

There had been no word from Elizabeth, neither had there been any other sightings of players outside of himself and the Mercenary. It took some time for the messenger ravens to fly from city to city, carrying the scrolls of information vital to his management of the Kingdom.

Aylmer sighed, "Man, Empire players have it easy."

After all, the Empire was tiny in comparison to the vast regions that the Kingdom held.

He walked down the city district, his face downcast as his mind was focused.

'I've asked the mages of Arcantis if they can accomplish anything about the time it takes to communicate between cities, and they've said it could take some time to recover such knowledge. They probably are referring to the Old Kingdom in the original Life of a Dragon map.' He began his thought process.

'Gameplay speaking, I should already have easy control over everything. But the Transition has drastically reduced the effectiveness of managing a Kingdom. It's closer to realistic terms, but still has the game's mechanics tied in, making it easier than if it was a medieval age kingdom on Earth.'

He put a thumb to his chin, 'If I hadn't played the Human Kingdom in Life of a Dragon Sequel so many times, both in gameplay and roleplaying, I've probably been screwed. Still, even with such game knowledge, it is proving very difficult. By fortune, the noble speaking terminology seems to have passed onto me by the Hero character I now possess.'

'Technically, I'm still the Prince Hero, I need to reach level fifteen in order to become the King Hero. The Kingdom Hero is the only character outside the Chosen Dragon players that can grow, per say. Though, I don't know what would occur if I did reach the required level, as I'm already old enough already to be a King.'

'Even if that was the case, the NPCs already treat me as their king regardless if I'm still a prince. They possibly can't differentiate between the two as there is no lore basis behind the growth, it was a mechanic made only for roleplaying reasons.'

"My liege!" A voice familiar to Aylmer brought the player out his thoughts.

Aylmer turned to face the origin of the voice, and waved his hand once at the incoming advisor to his court, "Afternoon, Marthan," Already the speaking pattern of his character twisted the player's words. "Is there any news of importance that would warrant you to leave my younger sibling in the castle by her lonesome?"

The Prince's voice had a tone of discontent within it, he wanted to keep Abigail safe from the dangers that riddled Kayla, and any that came from Halkeginia.

"Do not fret, my King," Marthan replied. "The princess is guarded by the 10th Legionaries, they will protect her zealously."

Aylmer nodded, he knew of the 10th Legionaries.

10th Legionaries, their namesakes were references to the RPG game title, Dungeon Siege. They were powerful, unique units that the Human Kingdom could create out of the Legionnaire Chapterhouse. They had the damage and durability of Heroes and could kill many creeps in Kayla in one on one battles, especially if the Human Kingdom had upgraded its weaponry and armor at the Tech Center.

However, they were expensive, took a long while to train, and took considerable food resource to keep their upkeep. But they weren't dubbed the 'anti-hero unit' for no reason, for enough of the 10th Legionaries could kill off Young Adult Chosen Dragon players with relative ease.

If he recalled, the Map Maker mentioned that the Empire had gotten its own equivalent of the 10th Legionaries called Fel Veterans.

"Then?" The player responded questionably.

"Do you recall when you alerted Arcantis of possible advances in communication by the use of magic?" Marthan said.

"Yes, has there been any fortune in the matter?"

Marthan shook his head, "Nothing of that sort, but while experimenting with the arcane towers, they decided to use each of the three towers' reveal spell on random points in Halkeginia."

Aylmer blinked, that was actually quite a smart idea, he had forgotten about the arcane towers' special ability altogether. Then again not many Kingdom players, including himself, barely use the reveal spell on the map.

"Did they discover something of considerable notice?" He asked.

"The mages had tried using a map, brought from one of the traveling merchants, as a guide to where they could use the spell. The first two towers didn't bring any luck, as the reveal spell has proven a bit faulty in the Transition it seems. However, the third tower, in its inaccuracy, discovered a large encampment of red-skinned orcs, eerily similar to the exiled orcs that revealed themselves a few years prior."

The King of the Kayla Kingdom nodded in acknowledgment, 'So, the Fel Empire has also transitioned.'

"It seems these red-skinned orcs had destroyed a major Halkeginia city, but we aren't entirely certain by such a brief glance."

"Ah, alright then…" Aylmer trailed off. "Wait, destroyed a city!?"

* * *

Current Status:

Chosen Dragon Player 1: Saito Hiraga - Alive - Purple Dragonet (Agility) Level 11

Chosen Dragon Player 2: Alex Storm - Alive - Bronze Dragonet (Strength) Level 8

Chosen Dragon Player 3: Asuna Godiva - Alive - Nether Dragonet (Strength) Level 10

Chosen Dragon Player 4: Artos Archway - Alive - Green Dragonet (Agility) Level 8

Chosen Dragon Player 5: Cora Rune - Alive - Blue Dragonet (Intelligence) Level 10

Dragon Slayer Player 6: Celdrahil - Alive - Slayer Level 8

Dragon Catcher Player 7: Rosina - Alive - Catcher Level 12

The Human Kingdom Player 8: Aylmer and Abigail - Alive - King Level 4, Princess Level [Error]

The Fel Empire Player 9: Grom - Alive - King of Fel Empire Level 8

Mercenary Player 10: Elizabeth Loyal - Alive - Sorceress Level 7

Observer Map Maker: Map Maker - Alive - The World Editor


	28. Chapter 28

**Author's Note** : Yadda, Yadda, author's note, Yadda Yadda, map progress! It makes me happy to know that people continue to enjoy the story, even if it is an oddity with all the different characters and perspective occurring! Yes, I have a plot! Yes, I know what I'm doing. And what do you mean you want my BattleNet name?

Tricky question, I have like, my BattleNet name, and my WC3 BattleNet name.

My Warcraft 3 account name is: Christopher10

US East.

If that wasn't already apparent by anyone who looked up Life of a Dragon Sequel by now, or who has played it.

Life of a Dragon Sequel v2.3 releases this December 20th! Now enjoy the chapter everyone!

* * *

Life of a Zero Dragon

Chapter 28: Road to Change

In the land of Gallia, in the fires of the village blacksmith, the dark lord Celdrahil forged- Wait, that's entirely wrong.

In the small village on the edge of becoming a town, Celdrahil, Dragon Slayer of Kayla, narrowed his expression in thought as he browsed the local blacksmith's wares. While the quality of the work and limited supply significantly decreased the decision making required, Celdrahil wasn't a player to just needlessly buy a vendor's items simply because it looked cool.

His own armor, which was an extension of his player model, clearly outclassed any leather or iron that this village blacksmith could create. While his item, Dragon Slayer Sword Level 1, was a unique weapon that only the Dragon Slayer could have.

Only three other heroes had unique items tied only to them. The Dragon Catcher, the Human Kingdom Prince, and finally the Mercenary.

Catcher's Bow, Aylmer's Sword, and Mercenary Equipment respectively.

'Wait, are they called that? Or is it Glacion's Bow and Royal Sword… Rosina's Bow and Prince Sword? Ugh, the map maker changes names unexpectedly.' He thought about it briefly. 'Whatever, not that it matters. I'm the only player here in this new world.'

He has been browsing the blacksmith's wares because he was curious to if they could be considered Items. It was a clear case that Items existed considering he had an inventory and he has the slayer sword. In line with this fact, the golems had dropped gold currency into his metaphysical resource tab that he could access on a whim.

"Find anything you're looking for?" The blacksmith spoke up, he was a young man, possibly under an apprenticeship if this world ran with similarities to Earth.

This land, Gallia, could possibly be Dark Ages, or Renaissance. It was definitely pre-industrial.

He hadn't seen anything of the likes to firearms. He knew Life of a Dragon Sequel had a few snippets of firearms, but they were rudimentary rifles.

Celdrahil turned to the young man, "A question, do you sell firearms?"

"Firearms…?"

"Rifles… Pistols… Hm, ah, ever heard of the term, musket?"

"Oh!" The man said, "While I do not know the former two devices, there are no muskets in town. Those are quite difficult to get outside the military or top-of-the-line weapon vendors."

The Dragon Slayer nodded, so they had muskets, still a far cry from Earth's technological level, but a step in that direction.

"I would purchase, unfortunately, I'm unfamiliar with the local currency. Do you take gold coinage or do I have to visit a money changer?" Celdrahil questioned.

"G-gold? Like, pure gold coin?"

He raised a brow, "From your reaction, I'm going to assume that gold has far more value."

If it wasn't for the fact that only Players could receive gold from the Creeps, Celdrahil would believe the economy would've gotten torn to shambles.

"Any money changers in town?" The player asked.

The young blacksmith shook his head, "No, sir. He left a few months back when the town started to fail. Now it's more likely to remain a village before being confirmed as a town."

Ah, yes, this was technically a village officially. It was on the edge of the township, but the local nobles refused to let it prosper.

He should have a chat about that, he's grown fond of this little place. There is no reason why a noble should refuse to send a message concerning township, wouldn't it increase the value of his land and give him more position?

At least, that's what he thought.

"Thank you for your time," Celdrahil said as he turned and left the blacksmith to his own devices. The Dragon Slayer walking outside, glancing upward at the sun that shone brightly in the horizon. He could still recall when he had looked up the night beforehand at the twin moons that orbit this new world.

'Reminds me of some space games,' He thought, referring to the night. 'Regardless, it's time for me to leave his place. I got a noble to visit, if I can get the nobility on my side as well as the common folk, then I'll have a solid backing."

He checked his items, his unique weapon sat at level 1 and an Enchanted Shield.

The latter was actually a basic item drop from the Golems a few days prior. It increases his health by 50 and armor value by 2.

A minuscule item, but every bit counts.

"Time to make way," With that, Celdrahil followed the paved dirt road that leads towards the noble's mansion in the region, it would take a good few hours before he reached it, however.

* * *

The bustling city of Carlisle, where freedom from the chains of royalty bring about an age where the people rule. The markets are filled with its denizens, the soldiers working hard to keep order and law in face of the dreaded, forsaken nobility. In many places, pamphlets were hung in an attempt to add more to the growing forces of the Reconquista…

An illusion of the truth.

Dragon Catcher Rosina felt the stale air of sickness and poverty around her, it was hard to ignore. The caravan was most likely the richest people in the city at the current moment. Well, until you count the nobility. Everything Rosina had learned in her life back on Earth practically pulled at her very being to aid the people around her.

It was wrong, all wrong, she had to help.

But she can't, it's dangerous.

She has gold from creeps, she could give those out.

Doing that will only make matters worse, to solve a problem as big as this she had to deal with the head of the snake.

The common folk begged on the streets, the stalls were crude and hardly held together, their owners trying in vain to sell whatever junk or spoiled goods they just to keep a living. There were multiple times already where children would pass by, attempting to pickpocket her and the caravan, only to be caught easily as they were novices in the art of thievery.

By knowing that, it was clear all this poverty was a recent incident.

Rosina tried to ask about it earlier to a caravan, but they wouldn't speak, only shoot glances towards the Reconquista soldiers who lavished in wealth and power.

The Chosen Dragonet behind her, Cora Rune, seemed to be in agreement with her thoughts. The second player glaring hatefully at the abuse going around.

Oh…

A man over there was getting beaten, having begged a soldier for currency to feed his family.

"Worthless peasant! I'm part of the Reconquista! Know your place!" The soldier yelled as he kicked the man who lay on the ground.

She couldn't stand it anymore.

Rosina steps up to the soldier, her grip tightening around the handle of the bow, "Leave that man alone."

The soldier looked to the Dragon Catcher, his eyes looking at her before grinning maliciously, it was then Rosina also took notice of the other soldiers, around four of them, and how in comparison the man in front of her wore superior gear.

A captain, most likely. Though she definitely preferred the Kayla Kingdom's unit to this asshole.

"Look here, men, we got ourselves a hero!" The abusing Captain yelled.

She narrows her eyes, "I ask you to stop beating this man, it's unbecoming of a soldier to use the people in such a matter. It makes you look like the trash you are."

"I'll show you! Men, Get her! I'll punish her severely!" He commanded his soldiers.

Rosina activated her auto cast of the Cold Arrows spell in her abilities, the bow swinging with her into a combat stance in an instant. "Your funeral," She replied with a harsh glare.

The first arrow flew, a blue glow decorated in frost accompy it, and hit the closest soldier square in the chest region. His armor, most likely made of steel, did little to protect him from the arrow's pentration and spell effects. The soldier fell backward from the kenetic force, his entire armor changing into a dark blue color as he looked like frostbite just striken him all at once.

Rosina winced, she didn't know how much her damage output scaled since the Transition. In Warcraft 3, you could check all these values… Hit points, mana, damage, armor… But now she can only get a extremely vague guess. She knew her level, that's for sure, it was there in the back of her mind, but the other numbers were non-existant.

She didn't know other people's levels, though, again, in Warcraft 3, you could just check another player's or creep's level by simply clicking on their character.

No such luck here, it was no more by presence. She could 'feel' how dangerous the enemy was in front of her, but it didn't give her an exact power scale on if she could handle it or not.

The soldiers didn't feel dangerous at all, sure, Rosina feels threatened, but her own level probably outmatched theirs.

The Dragon Catcher switched targets in less than a second, another arrow flying through the air with a trail of frost magic following behind it. Rosina fired her bow like second nature, her speed at bringing an arrow to her weapon had increased since she had first awakened in this new world. Most likely due to her higher level and the instinctual knowledge ingrained within this body by the Hero character she played as.

In any case, another soldier down for the count.

The other two were too slow to react or didn't care, to their fallen comrades. They continued to charge at the Dragon Catcher with malicious intent.

She drafted another arrow into her bowstring, aiming at the third soldier and letting it loose with another flare of her mana enchanting the now flying arrow. Rosina had to be a bit cautious at her mana consumption, the mana exhaustion she briefly experienced back when fighting the Ice Trolls with Cora had been a pain in the ass.

"One shot, one kill…" She said to herself in a prideful matter. Though she hadn't actually killed the soldiers, simply taking them out of action, it was still impressive to rid of foes so easily.

Huh, she didn't gain experience points. Probably only counts on a kill.

Once again, she let loose and arrow, it soured through the air and impacted against the fourth soldier, letting him fall to the floor in agony as his body was covered in frost magic, drastically slowing his movements.

Rosina looked towards the captain, "I dare say, it looks like your soldiers are in need of medical attention," She said.

"Worthless men, to let a single mage beat you in combat!" He yelled in anger at his subordinates. Then glared at Rosina, "I should have known, Royalist scum!"

"Wait, what?" Rosina spoke in confusion, her real self-breaking through the noble speech pattern.

Then it came, a powerful compressed blast of wind hitting Rosina at her right side. The Hero barely had time to react, the spell came to fast and out of her line of sight.

Rosina was sent flying, nay, spiraling through the air and crashed right into a nearby cart. The market cart shattered apart into wooden splinters and rubble as the seventh player attempted to recover her bearings. After a few seconds, she stood back on her feet, clutching at her side after taking a large portion of damage.

If she hadn't the endurance of a Warcraft 3 Hero, she would've been knocked out cold or severely injured.

"Maker damns it, that's going to hurt tomorrow morning," She swore in Kayla god's name.

"Hahahaha!" The captain practically laughed at her misfortune.

Rosina looked up, briefly glancing at the direction of her fellow Life of a Dragon player. Cora Rune looked prepared to intervene, the Chosen Dragon worried at losing a fellow player. The Dragon Catcher calmed her worries by raising a hand, motioning that she could handle this skirmish by her lonesome.

Besides, if Cora did, this battle would have been over in the first attack. These soldiers could barely handle one Hero, let alone a Chosen Dragon with that Hero.

Also the fact that Blue Dragons were really, really good against a mass of units. They were practically built to destroy armies! Well, given they reach a certain level first.

Rosina patted off her cloak, ignoring the pain on her left side.

She raised a hand at the captain, halting the brief battle between them.

"Now, according to some presumption you have whirling inside your head, I'm going to assume you believe me to be a royalist of some description?" Rosina questioned.

"Of course!"

"By what, sound logic do you have that would warrant such a claim? Do you even have solid evidence that I'm not actually part of the Reconsiquestia?"

"I.. Uh…"

"Indeed, I can see what you might see me as a Royalist. I most certainly am some magic user of a certain caliber to have defeated your men so easily. In fact, the numbing fact that I survived and remain nearly uninjured by your surprise attack might pinpoint me at such a strong position in a enemy force."

"Y-yes-"

"But then who's to say I'm not a high-ranking noble in the Reconsieqstia? I could have been sent to this location to investigate possible rumors of royalist supporters or even keep in check some unsavory individuals who are using the local populace for their own personal gain."

The captain gulped quite audibly at that implication.

"It would be quite troublesome for a lower ranking captain to suddenly attack his superior. Such action could lead to devastating consequences on the person, putting him and his troops at risk of treason and by proxy, execution."

"P-perhaps you can just forget this happened?"

"Of course, I might be lenient to let this pass by, but I require some form of compensation."

"Anything, ma'am!" The captain stood up straight.

"You and your troops will provide a community service to this town. I want you to take whatever currency you have and open a soup kitchen for the town's residents. We cannot have the populace hating us after defeating the royalist, such a people will revolt against us. I do not need to tell you what the revolt will incite?"

"No, I understand, ma'am! But, we ourselves do not have much to spend."

"Come here," Rosina finished.

The Captain nodded and walked over, the Dragon Catcher put a pouch of solid gold coins in his hand. She looked to him, "Take this coin, Captain. If this town becomes prosperous by your hands, you will be praised and recorded throughout history."

His eyes widened at the prospect in his hands.

"Now, go forth, begin your quest to be written down in the books for years to come, Captain. But before you leave, please seek for your men some medical attention. The Cold Arrow's effects have waned off by now, it's only some arrow wounds now."

With that, the Captain saluted and rushed off to his comrades.

Rosina sighed and walked over to the caravan, who all looked to her in abstract shock.

"What?" Rosina questioned.

* * *

Current Status:

Chosen Dragon Player 1: Saito Hiraga - Alive - Purple Dragonet (Agility) Level 11

Chosen Dragon Player 2: Alex Storm - Alive - Bronze Dragonet (Strength) Level 8

Chosen Dragon Player 3: Asuna Godiva - Alive - Nether Dragonet (Strength) Level 10

Chosen Dragon Player 4: Artos Archway - Alive - Green Dragonet (Agility) Level 8

Chosen Dragon Player 5: Cora Rune - Alive - Blue Dragonet (Intelligence) Level 10

Dragon Slayer Player 6: Celdrahil - Alive - Slayer Level 8

Dragon Catcher Player 7: Rosina - Alive - Catcher Level 12

The Human Kingdom Player 8: Aylmer and Abigail - Alive - King Level 4, Princess Level [Error]

The Fel Empire Player 9: Grom - Alive - King of Fel Empire Level 8

Mercenary Player 10: Elizabeth Loyal - Alive - Sorceress Level 7

Observer Map Maker: Map Maker - Alive - The World Editor


	29. Chapter 29

**Author's Note** : Life of a Dragon Sequel v2.3 had been released on Epicwar, Hiveworkshop, and MakeMeHost! I hope that everyone will enjoy the new content and finished the main story!

I've come to realize that La Rochelle is actually Gallia's territory, but since I've already had plans and made many mistakes, I'm keeping in at Tristan's Territory, thus making Tristain a little bigger than it actually is.

Now, enjoy the chapter everyone!

* * *

Life of a Zero Dragon

Chapter 29: Wayward Politics

The incoming force of the foreign nation had been quite an alarming sight to Grom, and his fellow orc kin, while he could, with confidence, easily speak with the foreign embassy. There lacked a crucial, determining factor that unfortunately the Transition didn't solve or grant him the ability to decipher.

He couldn't read the foreign dialect.

While the items within Life of a Dragon Sequel seemly allowed any who equipped them to read their descriptions, albeit mentally, it seems that factor lied solely in the items alone.

All magical ways of translating text to their language of the orcish people had long since been destroyed or lost by the end of the war against the demons.

So, any deal he could make with these unknowns would have to be put through verbally alone, otherwise, he risked the fact of... For lack of a better term... Disadvantaged fine print.

Damn, even in this world, politics was still a load of evil shit crammed into verbal and written mortal combat.

He preferred fighting the rogue red dragon over this.

There was also another issue that was quite prevalent, and that was the different nobility influencing possible negotiations outside of just him and the crown. He had learned from his… 'Interrogations' with the captives, all of which have been released since then, about the country, its basic political state, history, some religious information, and also key military knowledge.

The latter he could understand the most, considering his training within the armed forces and experience helped him filter out notable military intelligence quite keenly.

"Warchief!"

"Yes, Kon'Kor?" Grom replied to perhaps one of his greatest commanders.

"The foreign embassy has arrived, the Meeting Fire has been established," Kon'Kor answered his Warchief, his King.

It was quite odd that the term 'King' still applied to Grom when many now referred to him as Warchief, Grom guessed it was a cultural carry-over from when the time the Fel Empire was still a vast, continent stretching nation.

"Ah, the Meeting Fire," Grom said, he actually didn't have a clue what that meant.

Kon'Kor nodded, "I shall guide the humans there to discuss; food and beverages have been provided as an offering."

Grom closed his eyes, 'So, Meeting Fire is another cultural thing… It appears the Lakor- Wait, no, Fel… Fel… Lakor? Lakor Empire... '

Why did his terms start changing all the sudden?

Is perhaps, the lore of the map shifting? It is a probability, after all, Warcraft 3 maps were bound to update and change things around as they aged. The Map Maker might have changed the lore name of the orcish people from Fel to Lakor to further differ from the Warcraft counterparts.

'Which would be good, considering the fact it gets annoying to keep saying Fel all the time, when knowing the term Fel usually means demonic bullshit is occurring.' Grom had to agree, it is decided, he would introduce his Empire as the Lakor Empire. After all, the Fel Empire could logically be considered over since it's all but destroyed by the demons, so the start of a new civilization from the survivors would mark a true transition.

Wait… His Empire?

When did it become that in his mind?

He shook his head, no time to dilly dally on such thoughts.

A large group of humans on horseback approached the hastily built defenses of the Empire, just outside the rebuilding, charred town of La Rochelle. Grom walked towards the Meeting Fire, eager to get this talk over with.

He stood up tall, awaiting for the Tristain delegates to arrive. His mind expecting a royal queen as gleamed, beautiful and pure, wise and knowing.

Instead, he got a bunch of noble men coming in front of the fire.

Only confusion decorated his face, and he spoke first.

"I was expecting your noble Queen," Grom stated, hiding his displeasure behind an emotionless mask. Whether human or orc, the emotional expressions between the two races were similar to one another. "I see that she had decided to not make an appearance."

"Apologies," The nearest noble, who appeared to lead the group answered, "But the Queen couldn't risk this being a trap of some sort." The man finished, his monocle along his right eye moving slightly as words spoke through his mouth, his facial features showing a blond mustache and beard along with long hair reaching to his shoulders. His outfit was strange, but not entirely foreign to Grom, the man-turned-orc had some historical knowledge in the fashions of Earth's past thanks to the same studies in Ancient and Medieval Warfare.

Grom nodded, "The roads must indeed be dangerous, the burning of La Rochelle must have forced many into the life of bandits or brigands. I am Warchief Grom, the Lakorian King of the Lakor Empire."

"Pleasure to meet you, I am Duc de La Valliere, one of the higher nobles within the Kingdom of Tristain." He said, "To my right is Sir General Gramont, and my left, Noble Duke Orlais."

"Greetings," Gramont said.

"Well met," Orlais continued.

"What business do you bring? Though I am sure it involves the survivors we have been harboring?" Grom questioned.

"That is one of the topics we hoped to discuss with you," the Duke answered, "We are also curious about the nature of what, and who your people are."

"A curiosity that I'm sure many back in your Kingdom's circle of nobles are wondering," Grom began, "But, let us start this discussion on a high note, I am willing to return all citizens of the Kingdom of Tristain back to your Queen's custody without any strings attached."

"Truly? That is a generous offer," The Duke replied in surprise.

"However, we cannot finalize this deal by written works," Grom quickly said, "As I'm sure you can expect, our two civilizations have different languages, I am perhaps one of the few that can understand you, as is the same way in reverse. So, only our words and keeping of the deals will tell each side whether it can trust the other."

"I can see the predicament, the relationship between our two nations is fragile, like thin ice with a cart traveling over it. It can break at any moment," The man replied.

"A fine analogy," Grom spoke. "I trust the Kingdom of Tristain, to be honest in its words?"

"Of course, Tristanians are a proud people, they would not go back on their promises," He responded.

"And what does the people of Tristain, particularly the crown, wish of the Lakor Orcs?" Grom questioned.

"Information," Gramont spoke, "The Lakor Orcs have appeared quite suddenly in our borders, it is rather curious that you would appear roughly the same time that La Rochelle is under siege from a dragon."

"Which begs the question," Orlais spoke from the other side, "While dragons are formidable opponents, they do not nearly the amount of power to raze an entire city. Perhaps a few villages of commoners, but not an infrastructure built also with stone."

"Ah…" Grom trailed off as he tried to keep his calm, the game of politics now began, introductions were over and the careful words of dagger and gestures presented itself. "I'm afraid the nature of your local dragons does not match the sheer ferocity and prowess of this dragon."

"Do explain," Gramont said.

The Lakor Player looked to them, "What's the average height of your dragons?"

"Two and a half meters tall, measuring an additional meter when standing upright." Duke Valliere explained.

"Juvenile?" Grom said, causing the nobles to blink in slight surprise, "This dragon measure at least nine to ten meters tall, and if it stood upright, possible fourteen to fifteen meters."

"That's… That's huge…" Orlais spoke in shock, but Gramont and Valliere seemed to have kept their cool. Considering Gramont and Valliere's titles, they were of military origin, where by Orlais was a simple noble that had a higher ranking, his presence was most likely a formality if anything.

"An Ancient Dragon, it is believed those had gone extinct many thousands of years ago," Gramont spoke, "Are you sure of its size?"

"The corpse lays just a trek away from the city, in the field now covered with burnt grass. I do have information about this type of dragon, which most likely, is far different than any other dragon you have seen before," Grom said.

"Enlighten us," Valliere said.

Grom shook his head, "I'm afraid we haven't come into an agreement just yet, Tristanian."

"Ah yes, the return of our citizens," Valliere recalled, "The Queen does wish for her subjects to cared for."

"It sounds like this Queen has quite the caring heart," Grom complimented.

Orlais spoke, "Indeed, Queen Henrietta has a heart unlike any other. She cares for all the subjects within her domain, and those outside as well."

Grom nodded, this Henrietta figure seemed to have a more modern day morality. This Tristain so far seemed to have a far more peaceful and tolerant atmosphere than the dark ages of Europe.

Still, this was a medieval-tech nation, or so he believes for the moment. If there was any subject that would make this talk go south, it would be religion. So, best to avoid that topic altogether.

"You are free to have any of your citizens back, provided they have people willing to take them in. If you have a scribe, they can put down a list of names that the survivors give and you can place that list on display in a populated area, that could make transferring them easier as family members or kind individuals take them in," Grom said.

"We do have a scribe," Orlais spoke, "This deal is acceptable."

"Now, what are your terms?" Grom questioned.

Duke Valliere answered, "The Nobles of Tristain will most likely want the Lakor Orcs to be evicted from the possession of La Rochelle."

"I expected as much," Grom said, "But there is more to it?"

General Gramont nodded, "Most also don't know who or what you are, for all they are aware, you are just a band of ordinary human mercenaries who slew a big dragon."

Grom crossed his arms, "You want us gone before they figure it out, keep it silent and not induce panic."

Valliere made an agreeing gesture, "That would be a favorable outcome."

"Alright," Grom said. "However, we cannot leave these survivors alone, also, I want to discuss another important subject."

"We can occupy this encampment and convert it into a refugee camp," Valliere replied.

"I offer my troops," Gramont spoke.

Grom nodded, "Now, in the matter of that other subject, my people have conquered some regions."

"Conquered?" Valliere looked suspiciously at him.

"Grunt!" Grom said at one of his warriors, "Bring me the drawn map!"

"Yes, Warchief!"

"Now," Grom continued, "It wasn't any land taken by humans, but rather a disgusting mockery of true orcs, we have since exterminated them."

"Oh, thank Brimir," Orlais spoke, "If it was those tribes you took, you are free to have them!"

"Glad to know they were not appreciated," The player said, "Now," The Lakor Warchief began, "Let us discuss the finer details in possession of this land, as well as exchange information on each others people…"

* * *

Current Status:

Chosen Dragon Player 1: Saito Hiraga - Alive - Purple Dragonet (Agility) Level 11

Chosen Dragon Player 2: Alex Storm - Alive - Bronze Dragonet (Strength) Level 8

Chosen Dragon Player 3: Asuna Godiva - Alive - Nether Dragonet (Strength) Level 10

Chosen Dragon Player 4: Artos Archway - Alive - Green Dragonet (Agility) Level 8

Chosen Dragon Player 5: Cora Rune - Alive - Blue Dragonet (Intelligence) Level 10

Dragon Slayer Player 6: Celdrahil - Alive - Slayer Level 8

Dragon Catcher Player 7: Rosina - Alive - Catcher Level 12

The Human Kingdom Player 8: Aylmer and Abigail - Alive - King Level 4, Princess Level [Error]

The Fel Empire Player 9: Grom - Alive - King of Fel Empire Level 8

Mercenary Player 10: Elizabeth Loyal - Alive - Sorceress Level 7

Observer Map Maker: Map Maker - Alive - The World Editor


	30. Chapter 30

**Author's Note** : Heh, forgot to mention I'm 21 now. Not that it probably matters… I hope everyone is enjoying Life of a Dragon Sequel v2.35 which released on March 8th! Many new fixes, changes, additional content, finished some 2.3 content, buffs and nerfs, and also maybe reintroduce an old secret. :D

Since I forgot to mention, if Player 8 (Pink) in v2.35 leaves the game, or if its unused, Player 1 (Red) can type "-No Kingdom" to enable a feature which allows humanoid heroes to take control of the Kingdom on the first one to reach the throne!

Also, I'll like to thank everyone for their support and welcome new readers into our small fold of a community!

Enjoy the chapter everybody! Please, by all means, leave a review!

* * *

Life of a Zero Dragon

Chapter 30: Calm Before The Storm

"I really want to rub it in Kirche's face now, my familiar, a dragon of the magical arts! Hah!"

Louise Valliere was quite ecstatic, how could she not be? Her familiar, Erisdar, had become a Purple Chosen Dragon, not only was it a color befitting that of a noble but by Erisdar's explanation, it was an 'arcane' element.

While the word 'arcane' hadn't been used in centuries by scholars, Louise's education allowed her to know of its base meaning, arcane refers to magic, raw magic.

A familiar is a representation of their Master, so everyone back in the Academy couldn't say she was a Zero any longer!

"Louise, we should move," Erisdar said.

"Why, the bandits are…" She blinked, taking a glance at the clearly dead men.

A familiar is a representation of their Master, familiar actions are their own.

"Oh, Brimir…" She felt sick, vomit coming up her throat before she could no longer resist the urge to puke on the ground.

"Are you okay?" Erisdar's voice may have that draconic undertone, but it was filled with genuine concern for her wellbeing.

"We killed people, Erisdar, they're dead…" Louise trailed off in realization, she had committed murder.

"Maker's breath, we did," Erisdar said, "I didn't… I just reacted, I had to protect us, it was self-defense!" He exclaimed.

"Rule of Steel," Louise Valliere muttered under her breath, she was a noble, they were brigands, it matters not if they died by her hand for in attacking a noble of tristain they were doomed to execution.

The Valliere were a militaristic noble house, Louise has trained mentally the prepare in dealing with this situation.

But… She hadn't expected this… It took all her mental fortitude to even stop her body from shaking and collapsing in shock.

Erisdar, however, seemed less affected by his actions. It was most likely to do with the fact that he was a dragon first and foremost, he wouldn't understand human morals… That must be.

He did his duty as her familiar, protecting her.

"We should head back, have you cooled off your head?" The Chosen Dragon asked.

She could only nod.

"Alright then, I had us a room back in Winterfall, with a comfortable bed, a hot tub, even provided meals."

That did sound nice.

"Sure, it cost me pretty much all the gold I had… But, see that road, Louise?" The dragonet pointed along the stone-paved road leading straight through the forest. "This road leads straight to the Kayla Kingdom's capital city, once there, I'm utmost sure we can find someone to help us return to Tristain borders. But for now, let's return."

The noble wiped her eyes and cheeks, drying out a few strings of tears that she didn't know had even dripped down. "Lead the way, Erisdar, I…" She stopped, before continuing with, "And stay close."

"I wouldn't leave you alone even if you commanded me too!"

"Well, yeah, you're my familiar, my partner!" Louise yelled back. "Now let's get out of here before more brigands show up!"

* * *

Asuna Godiva swirled into an aileron roll, which gamer's commonly mistake as the barrel roll, outside of hardly believing the fact that she just accomplished a feat of aerial dynamics as a dragon, she was more preoccupied with dealing with yet another Fel Stalker. With the exception being, she was not alone.

She has made a… Um… Well, not a really friend, but more of a companion.

A spiraling torrent of flame erupted from her companion's, Kirche Zerbst, wand. It traveled through the air, scorching the ground below, before it unraveled itself and dispersed into nothingness as the magical energy within was devoured hungrily by the Fel Stalker.

"Now, dear!" Kirche exclaimed.

"Nether Claw!" Asuna shouted a loud as her body vibrated with chaotic energy before it imploded outward and condensed into an arcing lightning-like bolt of red mana, which shot and impacted against the Fel Stalker with the speed of a gun's bullet. The mana traveled along the creature's hide, tearing it asunder and entering the wounds before causing the creature to explode in a mess of blood and guts.

A shining golden light erupted around Asuna's draconic figure, before vanishing as quickly as it arrived.

"Another level," Asuna said as she hovered down close to the ground, as a Nether Dragonet, she didn't have any corporal limbs, but she could still feel them in a sense.

It was a very odd sensation.

"How close are we to the exit?" Kirche asked.

"Just about round here, the portal should be visible once we pass that archway there," Asuna jerked her head towards the direction said.

Ever since Kirche's eventful appearance into Outland, the germanian girl, and the Chosen Dragon decides that if they were to survive it would best to stick close together. Kirche owed Asuna her life after the Nether Dragonet brought her to the Healing Hay within the Nether Nest, restoring the teenager and knitting her wounds.

They didn't get along in terms of mindset, having conflicting thoughts on certain subjects. Kirche believed Asuna to be too much a farm girl like Asuna thought Kirche as some sort of whore in a brothel.

But, they decided that being together was better than dying by a Fel Stalker's giant ass pincers and teeth.

"Just, give me a moment, my mana is low…" Asuna took a small break, letting her mana slowly regenerate itself back to a sufficient point. If a Fel Stalker's Mana Burn ability hit her under a certain point of reserves, she would be knocked out cold in a single hit due to mana exhaustion.

Mana Burn…

There were only two creatures in Life of a Dragon Sequel that had the ability, the ability to combust a target's set amount of own magical energy against its own person. It literally used their own magic against them in a sort of implosion that was painful in varying amounts.

Fel Stalkers being one of them.

"Sure," Kirche said. While they may have conflicting viewpoints, that did not mean they could not be tolerating to one another.

Asuna had her lifestyle, Kirche has hers.

Even if Asuna beliefs in her religion conflicted with Kirche's life decisions, she had learned from her pastor back on Earth to be forgiving.

The player wondered if her father could handle the farm without her, but he did have many more years of harvesting than she did. If he did need help, her mother was sure to aid. Huh, american dad and Japanese mother, and now they have a dragon as a daughter…

Well, she can now safely say her family was even odder now.

"Should be enough," Asuna stated, she could feel her mana reserves, not the exact amount, but it should be fine. "But let's avoid them, I don't want to risk being hit by those spells regardless if I have enough mana."

"You've made me a bit curious on this mana energy, Asuna," Kirche said. "Care to explain it a bit?"

"It just means magical energy," Asuna said, knowing that much, she didn't know too much about RPG mechanics or Life of a Dragon Sequel, but she did have experience in playing Warcraft 3's story campaigns. "It's like a water reservoir that determines how much you have to cast spells, except it naturally fills up over time."

"I see, interesting," Kirche commented. "And these Fel Stalkers?"

"Uh, all I know is that they are creeps."

"Oh?" Kirche smiled in a teasing matter.

"Not that kind of creep! Like a monster, a hostile creature!" Asuna noticed Kirche didn't change her expression, "Stop doing that!"

"You are awfully easy to mess with for dragon," The red-haired mage replied.

"I used to be human, I don't know how I became a dragon… There was this flash of green light and I suddenly appeared as one…" She trailed off with a sigh, the third player didn't understand what had happened, only a few tidbits.

"A human?" Kirche's interest in the subject had been intrigued. "I don't know any spell that can cause such a radical change, but if what you informed me earlier, then I believe we are a few days travel to the academy from the lake."

"An academy? What kind of academy?"

"Magic, of course! What kind of academy wouldn't teach magic?"

"Um…" Asuna trailed off, "We should get moving. Look, I can see the portal over there!"

"Changing the subject, hm? I'm liking you better every minute my dragon girl."

"Stop saying stuff like that!"

"You are just too easy, hun!"

* * *

Celdrahil, the sixth player, the dragon slayer of Kayla, walked with boredom along the stone-paved road that led towards the nearby noble's residence. He took quite a few notes on the current conditions and progress since leaving the town he had come across earlier, while also understanding the differences between himself and the average man. It was clear to him that he had a Warcraft heroes significant advantage, the leveling system being on the most notable point, but also the superhuman properties tied to it.

His 'character' so to speak, was fully decked in armor, while in-game this would be little more than a visible appearance, since the Transition, it has greatly improved his survivability thanks to the sheer quality of the plate armor with underlying leather. Any effort that any possible foes hoped to even get past them to injure him was only with magic or armor-piercing ammunition from crossbows, though it might be plausible with muskets, it was unlikely given the current gunpowder technology.

Though, a person capable of using a war hammer or massive two-handed weaponry would also be able to injure him. He was also light on his feet, the armor, while it did have some weight, was surprisingly light.

Not that plate armor was as heavy as media portrayed it, but he guessed even he was influenced by the stereotypical viewpoint of it being heavy.

Celdrahil continued onward, before coming across a small band of what appeared to be militia hanging just outside an iron gate, looking past the bars revealed a two-story building, surrounded by a sizable green hedge.

"Greetings, my fellow men!" Celdrahil exclaimed in greeting, walking up nonthreatening. "What is with this small gathering?"

"Who are you, sir? Are you a chevalier of Gallia?" A militia man, looking young, probably in his teen years, spoke.

"No, but I have some training like them." Celdrahil lied, "I'm a well-equipped, seasoned adventurer that has come here of my own accord to speak with the local noble about the town prosperity."

"He's not letting anyone in until we deal with the dragon," The boy replied, "He's commanded us to go kill it, but what can a dozen of us do against a beast like that?"

"I hold the title of Dragon Slayer," Celdrahil said, finally a creature worthy of his time and also something to take away boredom, "I have training and skill in dealing with them, if you can give directions I'll take care of the problem for you. All I ask is an audience with the noble after I'm finished."

"We can probably give you it," The militia boy said, "Just bring back some proof so he'll actually believe you, now follow the road a mile down and stop when you reach two trees with branches hanging over the road like an archway," He began. "Head west from there, up the hill and through a small outstanding of boulders, the dragon should be around there. Be careful, it's very hostile and will attack you on sight."

"Noted," Celdrahil said, taking a moment to memorize the directions, "I'll be off."

* * *

Current Status:

Chosen Dragon Player 1: Saito Hiraga - Alive - Purple Dragonet (Agility) Level 11

Chosen Dragon Player 2: Alex Storm - Alive - Bronze Dragonet (Strength) Level 8

Chosen Dragon Player 3: Asuna Godiva - Alive - Nether Dragonet (Strength) Level 11

Chosen Dragon Player 4: Artos Archway - Alive - Green Dragonet (Agility) Level 8

Chosen Dragon Player 5: Cora Rune - Alive - Blue Dragonet (Intelligence) Level 10

Dragon Slayer Player 6: Celdrahil - Alive - Slayer Level 8

Dragon Catcher Player 7: Rosina - Alive - Catcher Level 12

The Human Kingdom Player 8: Aylmer and Abigail - Alive - King Level 4, Princess Level [Error]

The Fel Empire Player 9: Grom - Alive - King of Fel Empire Level 8

Mercenary Player 10: Elizabeth Loyal - Alive - Sorceress Level 7

Observer Map Maker: Map Maker - Alive - The World Editor


	31. Chapter 31

**Author's Note** : I've really been writing a lot of Digital/Extra, time for a Life of a Zero Dragon chapter! Also, greetings to all those who are joining us! And welcome back my readers!

P.s. I went to Disney World! Had a nice time! Especially at Epcot, so much food, even bought a few eastern dragon statuettes. I should put Eastern Dragons in LoaD Sequel some day.

 **MasterXMaster** : That status menu at the end might hold some significance! But rest assured, I won't kill characters without proper development.

 **AsahinaTora** : Level ups, level ups everywhere! I enjoy some good D&D myself!

 **Muraku** : Princess has already shown up (Abigail), but her coming into this world didn't go so well, the system probably doesn't know what to make of her.

Enjoy the chapter everybody! This is a big one!

* * *

Life of a Zero Dragon

Chapter 31: Role Playing Game

"My King, scouts report on the border of Kayla Kingdom matches with the testaments of the merchants. We are surrounded on all sides by foreign territory and could not reach more outward without being considered an hostile movement," Marthan spoke as he folded back together a scroll.

King Aylmer of Kayla, the eighth player, pressed a hand against the wooden table as his eyes scoured over the map details presented. "Mhm…" He muttered, "To the north, Germania… South, Romania. While westward lies both Gallia and Tristan. Then we have little information concerning the eastern borders outside rumored speculations…" Aylmer trailed off as he pointed to each area in question, the borders vaguely drawn in comparison to another map in which lied the Halkeginia's drawn landscape before the Transition.

He looked upward, around this table were four other individuals besides himself and Marrhan. These people of reputable notice were part of the hidden or shown lore of the Kayla Kingdom, the noble houses of Kayla.

The House of Volt.

The House of Sapphire.

The House of Stars.

And the House of Iron.

In the game, they were unknown background knowledge, only the Map Maker and a few of his testers knew of this information. However, whatever lore that had been drafted or put into the game had come to life and develop itself into reality. Now Aylmer had to deal with these four noble houses on top of the management of the Kayla Kingdom. It had proved a hassle, and only whatever skill he had in roleplaying and acting kept him from possibly making things worse for him.

The House of Volt seemed to be at most minor nobles, not to mention the least influential in the political atmosphere of the Kingdom. Their leader, a tall woman with long red hair, which seemed to be commonplace color in her household, garbed in padded leather armor and chainmail corset, she also carried with her a unique item.

It was a glaive, an odd weapon choice. But regardless, this Lady Narin Volt remained mostly impassive to his decisions.

On the other side, an old man who looked quite militaristic in Aylmer's eyes, was the current leader of the also minor noble House of Star. He was also, apparently, Kayla Kingdom's current general of high-tiered soldiers outside of the Legionnaires, of which were only loyal to Aylmer himself. The man's face was wrinkled, and his hair gray and dull, but his position remained upright and proud, matched by the steel breastplate he wore.

Sir Walter Vikostar was quite the militaristic man.

Then there was the asshole, in Aylmer's opinion, a stuck up stereotypical noble man who believed that he was entitled to everything. As leader of the House of Sapphire, he was indeed a political challenge to the player, but his loyalties stilled lied to Aylmer, not to mention he was the one who overseers Arcantis, which was probably the only thing keeping the prince from wringing the man's neck in frustration.

Duke Michael Sapphire, mage and prick both.

Finally, the de facto noble of Desert City, he who is in charge of the city's populace outside the monarchy. A man whom had the highest economical mindset amongst all the nobility at this table. He worse a lavished robe, but his face was quite rugged, around his neck was some sort of amulet or necklace, with a symbol Aylmer had recently distinguished to be that which dedicated worshippers of the Maker wore. This told the player that this particular noble was a religious man, not just a merchant.

Lord Arathor Iron, a man of religion and prosperity, of which who spoke first.

"While I appreciate the expansion of the additional acres, this wide change of landscape has had its own effects on Desert City. A many merchants have reported increased duration in travel time between Farmer's Cross and our city, which makes it more difficult for food stuffs and essential supplies to arrive on date," Arathor spoke.

Aylmer looked towards the Duke, "If I recall, I had asked the mages of Arcantis to rectify travel time with the ships going up and down the river?"

"You can't expect the magic users to create additional means overnight my King," Duke Michael replied. "The study into Arana Kingdom's lost magics takes time and resources, of which we lack the latter with the displacement of Orangebark Forest's tin and copper mounds with the whole biome itself."

"Not to mention," Sir Vikostar began, "Our military is spread thin as it is, most of the cities are guarded with militia alone, an exception to that being the Capital itself and Arcantis, which has its own spellcasters."

Lady Narin Volt decided to speak, "What of the Legionnaires? Can we not spare a few from the Capital to protect the roads and cities?"

Vikostar shook his head, "Not without leaving the Capital and the Princess herself left unguarded save but a few basic footmen."

Aylmer knew that Vikostar did not mention the King due to Aylmer himself being a Hero, which ties him to the Altar of Kings. Abigail, however, does not have such a fortunate binding, making assassination a plausible action against the girl.

He would sooner abandon all of the Kayla Kingdom than let his younger sister come to harm.

"That is not an option," Aylmer stated. "We have troops in training at this very moment, which should lessen the strain of our current army upon their completion. Until then, the cities will have to make due with its current defenses. Have all current fortifications been upgraded with Guard or Arcane Towers?" He asked.

Lord Iron brought out a slit of paper, unraveling out, "As of two days prior, all upgrades made to Scout Towers have been converted into Guard Towers as well as a small stone wall barricade built on the southern entrance into Desert City."

Aylmer nodded, that created a fortified front against any attacks from the south, they would to make an extended siege against the city or risk bottlenecking into a death hole of arrows to enter.

Lady Volt questioned, "What of Winterfall? The smallest city had any problems?"

Aylmer replied, "They have been fine, even better without the nuisance of Ice Trolls."

Marthan grabbed a report from a young man that had entered the room, he read it and said, "My liege, this letter has news."

"What is it, Marthan?" Aylmer asked.

"A report from Winterfall, most of it is basic information but there is a note tied to it that a dragonet has been spotted in company with a foreigner," the advisor said.

Lady Narin Volt took a definite note of interest at the mention of a dragon-related topic, "A dragonet? All studies in dragons tell that dragonets barely leave the safety of the nests. Only one notable exception applies."

Vikostar looked to her, "You don't mean a Chosen Dragon?"

She nods, "If they are born, it could entitle that this worldly shift has more to it than we think," Lady Volt finished.

Duke Sapphire scoffed, "Typical for a Dragon Knight to be concerned over the appearance of dragons."

Lady Volt glared at the Duke, "Like you could understand the implications of a Chosen Dragon, it is only your history that should explain the monumental deeds they have done two centuries ago."

"I don't deal with history, my Lady, I deal with what is now," the Duke responded.

"That is enough, we are more important matters than petty argument," Aylmer raised his voice. "Chosen Dragons or not, we are the the precipice of potential conflict with neighboring nations with unknown capability. For all we know, they could be more advanced and powerful than the fallen Arana Kingdom, or they could very well be weaker than us. What we do know is that whether we like it or not, we are surrounded at all sides."

"Not to mention," Vikostar said, "Polarvale is currently under demon occupation. While we do have forces stationed just outside, the threat still remains."

Lord Iron looked to his King, "Let us not forget that the information we've gathered thus far has not put a kind light on our closest neighbor, Gallia."

Aylmer frowned, coupled with the Arcane Tower's revelation of the Orcish Empire, it really puts a tight knot of how much the Kayla Kingdom could do at this time.

The King of Kayla spoke, "For now, our more pressing matters lies at home. The first order of business is building a sizable, well-equipped army that can retake Polarvale City under our control. During which our scouts and spies can gather more information about the surrounding nations. Meeting dismissed."

* * *

Saito Hiraga placed a map on top a small table, careful not to use his claws to shred the thin parchment. He looked up towards the bed, the small room provided for them in this inn provided adequate accommodations. Though, compared to modern day, even a motel would have been better. It was atypical, a plain wooden bed with the parts made of mostly animal skin lain atop one another to form the mattress along with some hay. Still, it was better than sleeping outside.

Louise Valliere had her cloak folded and placed on the other side of the table, she had rested herself in the same clothing she had worn for around two to three days now. Saito can guess she was discomforted with the fact she had no clean alternatives to wear.

"Louise," He spoke, garnering her attention towards him, the mage stood up and walked towards the table.

"You found a map, Erisdar?" Louise questioned.

"Yes, it may be outdated but it should serve its purpose," Saito said. He wondered absently what had changed him since becoming a Chosen Dragon, his mind did feel more clear, and it was easier to pick apart information. That did not mean he was any smarter, but he could hazard a guess that perhaps he just filtered knowledge better.

Saito circled the map with a claw, "Alright, see this area? This is the human kingdom of Kayla, it's quite large but in comparison to Tristain it might be smaller."

Louise nodded, "Yes, though are all these major cities? Most of Tristain comprises of villages or towns, with very few large cities." The mage could probably count the number of cities on one hand.

"Yeah," Saito answered her. "We're in Winterfall, up here, smallest of the cities. If Winterfall has changed this much, it is likely the other would be significantly larger." He could only imagine how massive the Capital must be now, its walls might put any of Earth's counterparts to shame.

Ugh, he only knew bits and pieces of the lore, mostly just gameplay stuff.

"How do you even know this…?"

"Instinctual knowledge," He lied, Saito doubted that Louise would believe the truth.

"Once we get to the capital we can settle down from all the traveling," Saito said. "But we do have a problem, this road is filled with brigands and they are relentless."

They were hostile NPCs, mobs, creeps, however term you used to imply to them it remained all the same. They were not players, not real characters, and Saito believed that Louise was far from the static nature of non-player characters. He was now a color, and also a Warcraft III hero, he could rid the brigands, gain some experience points and also a potential item or two. But, Louise didn't know they were NPCs, he doubted she even knew what the term meant, she could become a liability if he were to conduct this raid.

He could feel his heart pump, eager anticipation, it was a feeling he experienced a few times before. Always occurring in the midst of battle or right before it, perhaps this was the inner instinct that made him a dragon? If so, did that make his human mind shift? He did not believe so, for while he could feel different sensations or pulls towards certain subjects, he felt entirely himself within the depths of his own mind.

"Why hasn't the guard dealt with them yet?" Louise questioned.

"They aren't exactly well-equipped to do so," Saito replied, "You did see them, mostly town guardsmen, not soldiers."

He spotted Louise's hand tightening her grip on her wand, "So you say we have to fight them again…?"

Her voice wavered, but it remained collected, clearly having some sort of training in matters.

"Hey, Louise, didn't you say you were a noble? What's your family like?" He changed the subject.

"Well, the Valliere family is an esteemed line connected to royalty itself," Her attitude shifted into a boastful one, "We are well known, dating back hundreds of years, having a reputation for being with the crown's military. My mother is widely known as the strongest square class wind mage in the present day."

"How strong?"

"She once told me a tale on how she destroyed an entire fort of bandits in mere minutes with a single spell," Louise said.

If Saito could whistle, he would have, because that level of power would be like a high level character wiping out the brigand encampment. Though, he would not tell his female partner that a character like that would be slaughtering a camp in seconds instead of minutes. But, the scale of the battle would probably be smaller in-game then it would be after the Transition.

He would speak further, but his stomach decided to growl.

"Hungry?" Louise said with a smirk.

"Guess so, let's go get our meal."

Food first, journey later.

* * *

Alex Storm had taken the opportunity to think clearly, there had been a number of events that occurred in such a fast pace that even the Chosen Dragon had to take time to back up and rest. While he was a Chosen Dragon, that didn't discount the fact that he was still a dragonet, the child stage of a dragon's lifespan. He had hoped that they would have found the location of the Dragon Knight city of Icra, but it turned out that not only was the Great Kayla Desert significantly larger, but also that it may have been possible that Icra City itself may have moved.

Whether it was the Map Maker or the Transition, Alex theorized that Icra City is nowhere to be found in or near the Great Kayla Desert. Not that it mattered, they were exhausted, had barely to little supplies, and had only just increased their party size with the addition of Tabitha and Sylphid. While normally having an increased party size in Life of a Dragon Sequel would warrant good tiding, as it would be easier to deal with dangerous enemies, the Transition made the notion a more complicated subject.

First, Tabitha was a valuable companion, she had shared a lot of knowledge about Halkeginia that both Elizabeth and he didn't know. In return, Elizabeth explained many aspects about Kayla, the world of the Warcraft III map. Amazingly, there had been an odd set of parallel occurrences that happened at almost exactly the same instance in which the Transition had occurred.

He also noticed how he had been referring to the incident as the 'Transition' as if he has already known about it. Which was even weirder considering that Elizabeth also became aware of that she also referred to it as such.

In any case, apparently, there was another Chosen Dragon out there, who had been named Erisdar. He was summoned by a mage noble called Louise, just at the same exact time, all of this occurred.

Alex had a hard time believing a lone teenager girl has the enormous power to pull off something as grand as bringing Kayla's world to life, but he couldn't deny that she was possibly linked to whatever the true reason behind the Transition was. Still, she was an impressive individual to summon a Chosen Dragon by her side, if the lore was any implication, Louise must pack some serious magical energy behind her.

After all, failure in spellcasting or not, if you shoved enough energy into something then you would get results in a explosive matter. The word 'explosive' being less about the result of kinetic energy and more along the sides of dangerous large-scale side effects.

But he's spent too much time thinking deeply.

"How is everyone?" Alex asked his companions.

Elizabeth looked to him, "Ever watched a survival documentary where they don't sleep for two days?" She asked in a sarcastic, but tired, tone.

"No… But I can understand where you're coming from," He responded. They hadn't slept for more than twenty-four hours, rested sure, but they even a Warcraft Hero's body requires proper sleep.

Tabitha raised her head a bit, "Same," She responded briefly in her usual demeanor, but her voice was strained with exhaustion.

"Kyuu," Sylphid replied, Tabitha's familiar, whined.

"Alright then," Elizabeth began. "Since it seems we can't find Icra City, we should return to Desert City back in the Kayla Kingdom," She said.

There was more to those words, Alex Storm had noticed the immediate difference in abilities between himself and Elizabeth. It wasn't just the obvious spells, but rather, the Mercenary woman's lack of the Attribute Bonus. At first glance, missing such a Hero ability might not do much, but the more you continue to level the more apparent it became.

Attribute Bonus was a passive Hero Ability with twelve levels, each level increased the Hero's natural stats by three. That includes Strength, Agility, and Intelligence, if you multiplied that by twelve, it would equivalent to thirty-six points for each individual stat.

That more hit points, more mana, higher damage, increased armor rating, quicker speed, etc.

And the Sorceress Mercenary lacked that.

It was crucial, because every single other Hero in Life of a Dragon Sequel had the Attribute Bonus ability, for the Sorceress to not have such a vital skill would make playing her incredibly challenging. The map was balanced around to take Attribute Bonus into consideration, to lack it would be like switching the game's difficulty from normal to hard.

"You sure?" Alex questioned, "Desert City could be a long way from our current position. It's better we return to the Bronze Nest," The Bronze Chosen Dragon said.

"It's probably the same distance at this point," the Mercenary stated.

"Well, then we're just-"

 _The Lord of Tauren has come forth_.

"Shit!" Alex cursed as his wings beat his body back in a single, strong motion, having narrowly avoided being turned into draconic pancake. He glanced back at his previous position to spot a large tauren, it's skin seemed to be tinted a murky orange hue and a large two-handed log rested on the massive creep's shoulder.

"An event!?" Elizabeth took a few steps back as her body adjusted itself to the change of the situation, her legs lowering and both hands outstretched to begin spellcasting at any moment.

Tabitha struck first, mouthing something below her breath with her wand raised and pointed directly at the Lord of Tauren monster, following this motion formed three large ice crystals with dagger points that fired like arrows towards it.

However…

The second the elemental spell reached just a hair's length from impaling the creep, a bright shield of magic suddenly formed and dispelled the ice shards into ambient magical energy.

Elizabeth's eyes widened, "Is that a Spell Shield? Maker, why did you give a monster such an ability!?"

The Chosen Dragon narrowed his eyes at the beast, "If this is an event like we think it is, it most likely has more than one ability."

"Spell Shield?" Tabitha questioned while gripping the staff with two hands, Sylphid, her dragon familiar, growled from behind her.

The Mercenary hands glowed with light violet magical residue, her inner mana channeling outward into her palms. "Arcane Dust!" She shouted and the magic burst outward and thinly covered the Lord of Tauren's form, weakening its physical strength.

Alex answered Tabitha, "It deflects any hostile spell, no matter how powerful, it is possibly the ultimate defensive armament against magic. Thankfully, it only has one charge before it goes into a cooling period where it'll take up to a minute or two before it is able to activate again," The dragonet explained.

The Lord of Tauren raised a foot and proceeded to slam it down against the sand with such tremendous force that it created a large outburst of sand similar to that of a small wave. The four companions had to hastily cover their eyes as to prevent their vision from being impaired. The Bronze Chosen Dragon only had a second before he saw the monstrous form of the event creature now stood over him, it brought down the carved log downward.

"Bulky Bulk!" Alex said as he felt the spell encase him and increase his damage, armor, and regenerative capabilities. He didn't have time to counter, as he instinctively raised a claw in defense and felt the full strength of the attack.

The stone he stood on for support cracked apart under the pressure, the dragonet could barely hold back the log from crushing him. He snarled, and in his right paw opened wide while his left held the attack at bay, his mana surged outward in a showcase of electric energy, arcs of lightning current around his open appendage before they took the shape of a hammer made out of pure electrical power.

"Storm Bolt!" The Chosen Dragon roared as he brought the hammer in a uppercut, slamming it against the body of the Tauren Lord. In a blast of lightning, it knocked back the creature and stunned it just long enough for Alex to disengage its improvised weapon.

Elizabeth looked in disbelief, "Did you just slam Storm Bolt, a ranged spell, like a melee weapon?"

Alex took a breath, "Uh… I guess I did?"

Tabitha twirled her staff before aiming it at the Lord of Tauren, "Wind Gale," She muttered, then a small whirlwind burst out of the top of the staff, traveling across the dune and impacting against the beast. It enshrouded the creature, debris such as sand and small rocks picked up and scratched and scraped against the hide.

Although the monster had experienced pain, it didn't display such feedback. It continued to attack with relentless abandon, uncaring of its own personal lifeblood that flowed from a few minor injuries. While the attacks from both Alex and Tabitha were dangerous to the normal human; against a creep from Life of a Dragon, they meet resistance.

All creeps above a certain level, or those from events, carried in them a small magical resistance to enemy spellcraft. These magic resistance ranking varied between certain levels of the monsters.

But, in a more simple explanation, both Alex and Tabitha's spells did less damage than they would have. In any case, with Alex's spell being low level as it is right now and Tabitha choosing a less offensive spell, they were not high on output in the first place.

The Mercenary Sorceress channeled her inner mana and fired a line of green light, "Siphon Energy!"

But when the spell reached its intended target, once again, a translucent shield formed in front of the Lord of Tauren, which deflected the Sorceress's ability into but ambient magic which harmlessly dispelled into the air.

"By the Maker, I hate Spell Shield with a passion right now!" Elizabeth cursed, her speech interchanging with her character's setting.

Sylphid came charging in, roaring at the Tauren Lord with a high pitched sound atypical to young creatures. The blue halkeginia dragon raised its claws and sliced at the monster. The Tauren abandoned its weapon and flailed its arms about in an attempt to sway off the familiar. At first, Sylphid managed to get a few strikes in, but soon the Tauren grabbed hold of the log once more and swung it in a wide arc, battering Sylphid's side and sending the poor dragon crashing into a near boulder.

"Sylphid," Tabitha said with an underlying tone of anger. She stepped forward, gripping her staff tightly with both hands, and thrust it with a forward motion. A multitude of small ice shards, a contrasting element within the heat of the desert, formed and barraged at the Lord of Tauren.

While the creep's attention was drawn towards Tabitha, the Bronze Dragonet aimed his general body toward the Tauren, in a flash, electrical arcs surrounded Alex's figure before in a few short seconds a bolt of lightning fired like one had pulled the trigger to a firearm.

"Chain Lightning!" Alex roared the name of the spell, while its primary purpose was to hit multiple targets one after another, it could still deal more damage to a single target than his default attack could ever do.

In the combination of both Alex and Tabitha's attacked, coupled with Elizabeth who shot small bird-shape bolts of magical attacks that were her default and Sylphid's previous engagement, the Lord of Tauren finally fell and perished on the desert sands.

This, coupled with the fact that Elizabeth's and Alex's forms were briefly enveloped by a golden light, signaling their level up.

The group relaxed, breaths ragged and heavy, mana reserves at a low point and some injuries that may need tending.

Alex walked over to the corpse of the Tauren, which already began to decompose, if much, much slower than the in-game counterpart. He noticed two small objects, each entering his inventory on grabbing hold of them.

The first item…

 _Tauren Lord's Log_

 _Unique_

 _Increases damage by 4, Strength by 4, and allows the user to deflect a hostile spell every 180 seconds._

"That's really good," Alex said, tempted to keep it for himself but he was a nice guy so he'll chat with the others about it.

The second…

 _Scroll of Town Portal_

 _Teleports the user and nearby friendly units or heroes to the player's personal Castle, Fortress, or Dragon Cave._

"Maker's breath! Finally a way out of this desert!" Alex shouted and immediately turned to face the others, "Hey! We got a teleport scroll!"

* * *

Inner magical energy seemed to vibrate under the purple scales were apart of his draconic body, arcane forces under the hold of his paws, eager to be called upon, seeking to be used by the one called Erisdar, the player named Saito Hiraga.

The first Chosen Dragon player had quite a decent meal, what with how he used the remaining gold coins he had on his person from the ogres he slew back in Orangebark. Not only that, but the provided food had brightened his companion's, Louise, day. As she was no longer complaining, content that she was warm, satisfied, and also cleaner than any of the past few days combined.

Saito couldn't recall if it had been two or three days since the incident with the Golem. Yes, he had tried to access the Chosen Potential ability again, but the ultimate level spell had vanished as mysteriously as it came.

He didn't have enough gold to purchase any consumable items at the General Store, Saito could go and kill off the brigands in the world if he used his skills. As a purple dragon, he had access to three skills.

Mana Burn.

Scattering Arcane.

And Mana Shield.

While he also had Attribute Bonus and his Fast Very Fast ability, the last and final spell he had yet to learn would require him to level up more.

To briefly explain, Mana Burn was a small ranged spell that combusts a target's own magical energy within against them, dealing damage equivalent to the amount of mana lost. It was deadly against spellcasters.

Scattering Arcane, which was a new spell that Saito has not used before, but from its description, it was a multi-target medium range spell that hit many enemies at once, on the downside since it hit a larger number of foes it dealt less damage than any single target spell would.

Mana Shield is what it says, it is a spherical orb of his own mana energy that can be activated and stay activated with little to no cost to his own reserves. The sphere would surround him entirely, creating a barrier against all physical and magical attacks. When hit, it would consume his mana, or magical energy, to keep the Mana Shield up. It would either turn off at his command or when he runs out of mana.

But moving on, the Purple Chosen Dragon took in a deep breath and faced his young female companion.

'Wait, she is like fourteen right?' He thought to himself, he has had this thought before but didn't really confirm.

"Hey Louise," Saito said to get her attention.

The pink-haired teenager looked to him and away from the bustling town of Winterfall, "What is it, Erisdar?"

"Pardon my rudeness," He attempted to start politely, women never liked being asked their age. "What are you in human years?" He said in a method that would make it seem like he didn't know all too much about humans.

"Sixteen," Louise replied clearly, though there was a certain dislike in her tone.

He decided to play it safe, "Wow! You sure are grown!"

She smiled briefly, "Thank you," She said.

"Now, the only way to the Capital from here is through Fall Forest road, if you recall, that is the spot where we got ambushed yesterday," Saito said.

The noble girl nodded, "I remember, will we get ambushed again?"

"Don't know, but it is likely," The Chosen Dragon replies. "I'm stronger now and can deal with a few brigands on my own. With you at my side, they wouldn't stand a chance if they decided to ambush again."

There was a visible sign of relief from Louise's face, but she was still apprehensive. "We only need to pass by that and we should be in the clear?"

"Yes," Saito answered.

"Then let's get this over with," Louise said.

"I'll lead," Saito finished.

* * *

A head face planted right onto the top of a wooden table, a resounding thud that echoed briefly around the furniture. A groan escaped said person who's face had slammed against it, this figure, whose speech patterns only hours before had would have indicated a figure of noble birth, now cursed without a care.

"Fuck," The women said, "This is awful, utterly terrible in every way you see it. I can't believe I had not noticed it before," She finished while her left hand gripped the handle of an alcoholic beverage.

"What's the matter, Rosina?" A blue dragonet spoke from across the table, her very presence had kept most of the other patronage a distance away.

"It's the food and drink, Cora," Rosina. "It's complete shit. I can't believe I have to eat this stuff, I miss my microwave meals. Frozen shepherd's pie, please, come back to me! Ramen, forgive my previous criticism and save me from this world!"

"Oh bother," Cora rolled her eyes at the pitiful state of the Dragon Catcher. "Surprised you're actually like this considering you pulled a leader speech back there earlier…"

A waiter came up, carrying two plates, "Rabbit's meal, here you go miss," He said, placing down the two plates on the table, causing Rosina to sit back upright. He nodded, then took his leave.

Rosina stared at the plate, "This looks awful, and salt is not a commodity yet? How am I supposed to do awesome hero moments if all I get is poverty food?" She complained.

"Maybe the civil war just made it hard to import salt from other places? So they're running dry on spices," Cora theorized.

The Dragon Catcher took a gulp of the alcoholic beverage before placing it back down.

"And to top all the crap I have to deal with, I can't even get drunk to drown it out," Rosina continued. "Like, what the hell Maker, too damn lazy to make a system for heroes to get drunk? All I get is a small speed debuff that lasts for like 10 seconds! That's hardly enough for me to even feel a buzz!" She exclaimed.

Cora poked a claw on the rabbit meat, the sharp bone easily tore through it with ease. She looked up to the human Hero, "Isn't that a good thing? You shouldn't drink anyway."

"A good thing? Hardly! Isn't the merry adventures of heroes suppose to be topped up with intervals filled with good food and great drinks? This, this right here," She waved over the cooked rabbit and mug, "Is a disgrace to role playing everywhere!"

Rosina slumped back against her chair, "Wizard One O One would be ashamed at this travesty of a D and D game." She continued.

"I don't think this counts as a game of Dungeons and Dragons, Rosina," Cora said, taking the chance to drag her meal closer so to better grip and eat it. "After all, all this is probably far from what that company expected."

The Dragon Catcher hero cut off a piece of the meal and savored it for a few seconds before forcefully swallowing it down. She groaned in displeasure, "Fuck… So this Civil War shit, what's it all about? I only got some snippet about some uptight nobles going all pissy against the current royalty."

Cora began to highly doubt Rosina lived in Britain, considering her manner of speech, then again it can be sometimes hard to tell if such a person stayed on the internet for so long.

The technology of voice communication can do that.

The Chosen Dragon took a chunk out of the rabbit and didn't even bother to taste it, simply swallowing it whole down her gullet. Then she replied, "That's the basic knowledge of it, but considering the attitude of the rebel faction, they are closer to just nobles wanting more power than actual revolution."

"So, it's a rebellion more than a revolution. Like the start of the French Revolution?" Rosina questioned.

"No," Cora said. "Think more power hungry and convincing the mass of nobles that you are in the right by the use of religion."

Rosina paused, then took a large finishing gulp out of the mug, before she placed it back down.

"Ah shit, I've played enough video games to know that this will lead to disaster. Why is it always religion with these fantasy tropes? At least Life of a Dragon didn't have this stuff," Rosina said.

Cora swallowed another piece of rabbit flesh, "Yet; We don't know what the Map Maker had planned."

Rosina suddenly stabbed her silverware into the rabbit, "Then it's decided."

"Huh?" Cora Rune blinked.

"I'm going to save the royal family's losing asses by kicking the Reconsiquestia to the curve, so that I may have a damn seasoned meal outside of this garbage!" She exclaimed.

Cora's mouth went agape at the declaration, "You're going to fight any entire faction just so that you can put salt into your meal!?"

"Yes!" The Dragon Catcher confirmed.

The Chosen Dragon sighed, "And they say wars have been fought for less…"

Rosina dropped a few coins on the table, Cora quickly finished her meal by engulfing the rest of the rabbit into her jaws. The Dragon Catcher hero stood up from the table and looked outward.

"Come, my fellow Hero, time to liberate the city and start a civil war in a civil war!"

"How the hell do you plan on that?" Cora said in a burst question.

"We take control of the docks," Rosina said. "If we show the common people that they can defeat the occupying force then they will flock to us."

"Were… Were you a history teacher or something?" Cora questioned.

"Nope, just played Dragon Age before all this!"

"That explains way too much…"

* * *

Current Status:

Chosen Dragon Player 1: Saito Hiraga - Alive - Purple Dragonet (Agility) Level 11

Chosen Dragon Player 2: Alex Storm - Alive - Bronze Dragonet (Strength) Level 9

Chosen Dragon Player 3: Asuna Godiva - Alive - Nether Dragonet (Strength) Level 11

Chosen Dragon Player 4: Artos Archway - Alive - Green Dragonet (Agility) Level 8

Chosen Dragon Player 5: Cora Rune - Alive - Blue Dragonet (Intelligence) Level 10

Dragon Slayer Player 6: Celdrahil - Alive - Slayer Level 8

Dragon Catcher Player 7: Rosina - Alive - Catcher Level 12

The Human Kingdom Player 8: Aylmer and Abigail - Alive - King Level 4, Princess Level [Error]

The Fel Empire Player 9: Grom - Alive - King of Fel Empire Level 8

Mercenary Player 10: Elizabeth Loyal - Alive - Sorceress Level 8

Observer Map Maker: Map Maker - Alive - The World Editor


	32. Chapter 32

**Author's Note** : Welcome back everyone! And greetings to any new readers! If you have any questions about the story feel free to ask and I'll answer them next chapter! I've been working on 2.4 for a while now, and it has a lot of content. No spoilers though! Any new game content you see displayed on Life of a Zero Dragon will also make its way into the Warcraft map!

Enjoy the chapter everybody!

* * *

Life of a Zero Dragon

Chapter 32: The Distant Choir of Warcraft

Artos Archway sighed audibly as he took a moment to collect himself after the long journey towards the Kayla Kingdom capital city. He had not expected the road to be so long, it is likely that whatever occurred to the game had drastically increased the size of the regions to match a more realistic tone. Now, however, he stood just outside the gateway, and could spot a few soldiers patrolling the walls, some taking a glance at his direction before moving on.

It was apparent that the NPCs had a drastic increase in Artificial Intelligence. Whether that was due to the case of the Map Maker or the Transition, as he recently found himself calling the event, couldn't be known. Whatever the reason, it provided a much more vibrant experience in the map than most other games provided, with the exception of a few.

The large gate opened up in a slow manner, the dull iron color vanishing from his and view of the metallic gate into the vibrant busy marketplace just ahead. The Green Chosen Dragon flew inside but was stopped short of fully entering by a strange unit.

He felt very wary all the sudden as if instinct told him that the individual in front of him was a dangerous opponent for his current level.

"Greetings, Dragon. As per regulation on entering the capital I must ask on which business are you here for?" The man in front of him was decked head to toe with high quality crafted iron armor, a long blade stood sheathed at his side. The iron equipment was probably due to the present technological upgrades the Kayla Kingdom had at its current disposal. If the player for the Kingdom is still around, there would be no doubt they are researching new upgrades at the Tech Center building.

It took Artos a brief moment to recognize this unit as a Legionnaire, something he shouldn't fight against at his current form. Sure as a Green Dragon he could heal himself with the Healing Wave ability, and also stall the NPC's movements with Entangling Roots… But eventually, he would wear out.

"A simple purchasing of goods found only in the capital," Artos spoke in a roleplaying manner. He might as well play along with the whole medieval fantasy… Or is that renaissance?

Probably the latter.

"Be on your way, but don't cause trouble. While the Legionnaires will not bother you, I cannot say the same for everyone. The memories of the Human-Dragon war still lingers, even after the two centuries since its ending," The NPC informed Artos.

The young Chosen Dragon nodded and made his way past the Legionnaire, but to stop abruptly as his eyes widened at the sheer _wonder_ and _size_ that made the Capital of Kayla. It was massive, the Castle itself stood tall with multiple towers, brimming with arcane magics, standing guard around it. A large gate, decorated with splendor and royal pink hues, couldn't be described in proper wording as with the rest of the solid stone masonry that made up the structure. It was one thing to see the Castle from a screen or video game, another entirely to see one with such an active role in a society up close and personal.

Artos shook himself out of his stupor, he had gotten a somewhat decent amount of gold coins from the starting area creeps bodies. It didn't take him long to figure out that, yes, the currency system of Warcraft was still in-game, if somewhat altered.

As the Green Chosen Dragon made his way into the marketplace, his train of thought was interrupted when he accidentally bumped into an NPC.

"Ah, my apologies, dragon," The man appeared somewhat aged, and Artos could immediately identify the character as a paladin of some description, matching pink flagged armor and war hammer at the side, with a prayer book attached to the waist buckle.

"No, I wasn't aware of where I was heading," He roleplayed out.

"You do seem quite lost," The paladin responded with a kind smile, "Perhaps I shall be of assistance? If I help you then shall you aid me in return?"

Artos blinked, was this a Quest? Is this a mission given by a non-player character to fulfill in exchange for a reward equal to its difficulty level? Well, he could always use the experience and gold, and perhaps he'll get an item out of it as well.

"Sure," Artos took his offer. "If you can pinpoint me to the Arcane Vault store, I'll help you. By the way, call me Artos," He spoke.

The paladin smiled, "Then, by all means, call me Aenthur."

* * *

Louise Valliere had been to many places before within the Tristain, all with varying amount of sizes and development. The Valliere Lands alone was large enough to support multiple commoner villages, and the Capital of Tristain was said to be the crowning jewel filled with many shops and stalls, and towering stone structures and walls. But this was something else, Louise could spot the Castle alone from this distance, it was massive, larger than even Tristan's own. The walls themselves were marvels of engineering, as if someone had carved out mountains whole and used the indestructible stone to create the defensive walls.

But that wasn't exactly the awe point.

"Erisdar…" Louise trailed off with a tinge of disbelief present in her voice.

"Mhmm?" The Dragon responded.

"Why didn't you tell me the Kayla Capital was this huge!?" Louise exclaimed while pointing at the sight.

"Pretty sure I showed you a map?" Erisdar questioned.

"Y-Yeah!" Louise waved her hand more at the sight, "But that's not up to scale at all! It's massive! Like, from this distance I can tell it's near twice the size of Tristan's own!"

The Chosen Dragon shrugged at her overregulation, "It's not that big-"

"Not that big!? He says it's not that big!" Louise spoke more to herself than her partner, "What kind of civilization size is he talking about!? Romalia? Gallia? Brimir, don't tell me it's Germania!"

The purple dragonet arched his brow at her, before beginning to continue onward. The young mage noticed her companion was going on without her, and jogged a bit to catch up. So far, the brigands had choose to ignore their presence, possibly recovering from the lost of ambush group. Louise Valliere was glad that she didn't need to kill more people, even if they were scum of the earth. Though she may be trained in military matters somewhat, and the Rule of Steel served as a method of mental fortitude, it didn't necessary mean Louise was prepared.

But then again… She was never prepared for any of this.

"Erisdar!"

"What?" He seemed a bit annoyed.

"Do we have any plan?" Louise said, "This is a foreign nation and I am a foreign noble."

He eyed her, "They are not aware of this, most likely you'll be just another traveler. If anything, my presence will be more alarming than you… Well…" Erisdar glanced towards a specific part of her body. "I guess pink hair might be a curiosity."

"My pink hair? What about it?" She said while furling her fingers through her hair in reaction.

"Most hair colors in Kayla are brown and black, with few cases of blond or red. So for you to have pink hair might bring a lot of attention to yourself…" He trailed off.

"It's not like I can hide it," She stated.

He nodded, "Very true, I doubt even a hood could hide it. If anything you'll have to cut it down to short hair before you can do that-"

"No! No touching the hair!"

"Alright! Alright! I didn't mean any offense!" Erisdar exclaimed in reply, before mumbling something about girls and their looks.

Louise decided to ignore that.

It took around half and hour of traveling to finally approach the gates into the Kayla Capital City, Louise Valliere took a small breather as her body ached from the continuous traveling, unused to the strenuous exercise of long travel by foot. That's not to say Louise wasn't adapting, she was, just very slowly. Erisdar just made it look so easy in comparison, like seriously, what noble walks for hours on end to get from place to place anymore? There's plenty of other options, and it's called horseback!

Or horse-drawn carriages…

Or riding on top of griffins.

Or dragons… Which she wished dearly Erisdar was big enough already.

Brimir, her feet hurt.

Not that she'll say it out loud, she has her pride! That, and she had already done so in the previous day before arriving in Winterfall. It would be embarrassing to complain about it to Erisdar again, he was clearly getting irritated by her lack of endurance at times. It's not her fault, he's a dragon, of course, he'll have more physical skill than a human-like herself!

By the time Louise finished her trail of thought they had passed through the entry gates and into the capital itself.

Louise breathed in preparation, this was it, she was a foreign noble delegation inside a previously unknown human nation. At least it was a human nation, as she would never be able to keep herself calm in an elven one.

Those Xaria Elves were eerie similar to the- Wait, what? When did she refer to those elves as Xaria Elves?

How did she even get that information in the first place…?

"Hey, Louise," Erisdar spoke up.

"What is it?" Louise replied in question.

"If you are a noble, and you had entered a foreign nation, would that mean you are an ambassador for Tristain?" Erisdar asked.

"No, at least, I don't believe so," Louise replied, absently stroking her bright pink hair in nervousness, the citizens seemed to eye her just as Erisdar said earlier. "Tristan's Crown employs certain trained individuals to act as ambassadors to foreign nations or groups. It would be foolish to sent some random noble or soldier to act as one."

"Ah…" Erisdar trailed off, nodding to the knowledge. He briefly mumbled something concerning lone protagonists having it easy, but Louise couldn't understand it clearly.

He looked to her, ignoring the glancing looks the dragon received from the humans nearby, both adults and children alike, "Well, there goes Plan A, in highlight it seems really stupid now."

"Plan A…?" She questioned, "And just what was the plan?"

"I thought since, ya know, we're the heroes and all that we can just waltz right in and ask to help whatever problem, then get a reward in returning to Tristan," Erisdar stated.

Louise blink, mouth agape, before she recovered.

"That's the most idiotic plan I've ever heard! What sort of backward nation would just accept help from a random foreigner for little reason outside of helping them with a thing or two!?" Louise exclaimed.

"To be fair… Well… Actually, forget it… Uh, do you have a plan then?" He asked.

Louise crossed her arms in thought, she hadn't really the slightest clue. The best direction they can make right now is finding information on where on Halkeginia the Kayla Kingdom is location… Provided they are even on the same continent anymore. But at least it wasn't something radical, like being transferred to another world, that would be unbelievable.

Erisdar sneezed, huh, so dragons do that too.

"Pardon my intrusion in the conversation," Another voice joined in.

Louise and Erisdar turned their attention towards the person, it was a woman, covered in finely embellished leather armor, her ruby red locks tied in a bundle while a glaive was stabbed to her side. It was an odd choice of weapon that the Valliere couldn't really distinguish how it would ever be used, in fact, she had never seen such a weapon design like that before.

"I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage?" Louise spoke.

"Forgive me, I am Lady Narin Volt, of the Noble Kayla Household of Volt, current Leader," She answered.

A noble! She was a noble!

"I am Louise Françoise Le Blanc de la Vallière," Louise responded in kind. "Third daughter of the Valliere House in the Kingdom of Tristan."

"My, this is a first. A foreign noble traveling with a Chosen Dragon?" Lady Volt responded with some medium of surprise.

There's that term again, Chosen Dragon, it was Erisdar's species name. It had some significant meaning if both Xaria Elves and a Kayla Noble mentioned them.

Erisdar spoke up, "I'm surprised, I assumed most humans didn't have an inclination about how to distinguish between the two," He said.

Lady Volt smiled at Erisdar, "I'm sure you can take a clear guess on why I would be able to know such."

Erisdar paused, examining her, after a brief few seconds he responded, "Should have known, you're a Dragon Knight. Are you familiar with the term Warcraft?"

Dragon Knight? Warcraft?

"My apologies but I am not," She replied.

He shrugged, "That's fine."

The Dragon Knight turned her attention back to Louise, "I assume you are here to discuss the political nature concerning our two countries? I mean no offense, but I had thought they would send someone more matured and guarded by men, not a dragon."

Louise Valliere almost opened her mouth to reject the notion, but it dawned that she could use this. Yes, it would be a blatant use of the current misunderstanding, however it was also an opportunity. While she was aware she lacked the training to be an ambassador or diplomat, she did have her teachings as a noble in politics.

"Yes, though the journey had a few unexpected complications. My fellows had been assaulted by an enemy force that Erisdar, my dragon companion, had intervened with. It caused my company to undergo a teleportation of some sort, separating us." She spoke, telling the truth, but not the whole story.

"You have my sympathies," Lady Volt said. "Shall I guide you to the Castle's entrance, or do you wish to explore our fair city first?"

"Castle," Louise replied.

"Very well, will you be joining us?" Narin Volt looked towards the Purple Chosen Dragon.

"I will, I have a subject in mind that I wish to speak with your King," Erisdar stated.

"Follow me then," She said.

Louise nodded and began walking right behind the Kayla Noble, but absently she was wondering just what Erisdar wanted to ask the royalty of this nation about.

* * *

The crackling atmosphere of the Southern Outlands was a sight to beyond, the sky itself was a void decorating with purple stars and wavering energies like a mystical aurora, reminiscent of a time when Life of a Dragon Sequel took heavy roots in the environmental inspiration from World of Warcraft's Burning Crusade expansion. Although the World Editor could never create the details present in the MMORPG, the Transition had filled in the decorative pieces and brought the plane to life. Now, combined with its dangerous creatures and chaotic energies, it served as a reminder of a time where beauty can be found in more than simple game mechanics or advanced hardware.

But, Asuna Godiva, though captivated by the sight, didn't have the luxury to stand ideally to sightsee. The Southern Outlands was a dangerous place, as the Fel Stalkers and Twisted Lakorian Creatures seemed adamant in informing her. By fortune, her fiery-headed companion, Kirche, had been an immense help in dealing with the hostile creeps.

Unfortunately, Kirche's personality was not one Asuna was not very keen on. The girl liked to tease her, in more ways than one, and while Kirche had made no moves to Asuna on the more adult manner it almost seemed she was thinking about it. Which annoyed the Nether Dragonet quite a bit. In all honestly, Asuna Godiva thought as Kirche as one individual she would never really get along with on a normal basis.

But, by the sheer bad luck, their current predicament forced them to comply with one another. In a way, Kirche's mannerism might be her own method of coping with the stress, something that Asuna could identify with somewhat. As a Chosen Dragon, though, Asuna felt less stained than she would have been as a human in this environment.

At least, as for as Asuna knew, she would have a second chance if she was killed. Chosen Dragon players all received a one-time resurrection upon being defeated, revived at the safe location of the Green Dragon Nest.

There was also another backup that clocked before that though, and it was an item she currently had in her possession.

When choosing a color, other than perhaps Purple Dragons, a player hero will receive two items for free. These two were the Dragon Cave and the Ankh of Revival, the former was used to instantaneous form and create a home for the Dragon, where they can upgrade their damage and armor values and also enter inside, where within lies their own personal healing hay, item storage, and an object which changes the interior decorative flooring.

The Ankh of Revival was more useful for her current circumstance, upon six seconds after death she would be revived with 500 hit points. The item had three charges to boot, which allowed her to theoretically come back from death that many times.

"So, that is the portal you were talking about earlier?" Kirche questioned from beside her, pointing toward the simmering portal that glowed with dark pink hues.

"That's the one," Asuna said. "I passed through it a while ago, arriving here. As I said earlier, it connects to a large lake."

"Then if my previous assumption is right, it's right on the borders between Tristan and Gallia," Kirche stated.

She heard something at the edge of her hearing and immediately pulled Kirche out of view and behind a couple boulders.

"What is it?" Kirche said in a serious tone.

Asuna looked over, spotting a small group, "Orcs… Lakor Orcs," She said the name, but it surprised her a bit. Since when did the Fel Orcs become Lakor Orcs in her mind? Well, it might have something to do with the same origin concerning the Transition title.

"Orcs?" Kirche said, poking her head over the boulder to take a look. "Those look nothing like the orcs I know, far less ugly and… Damn, those muscles. You can grind meat on those."

"Don't start," Asuna commented.

"Don't worry, I don't swing _that_ way, I have my preferences," The red-headed girl replied

"You could have fooled me…" The Chosen Dragon trailed off, "Anyway, keep it down, I want to overhear what they are speaking of."

Kirche kept quiet, allowing Asuna Godiva to listen into the conversation with her more attuned draconic hearing senses.

"It's been a week since the loss of communications, I believe the Empire has lost all contact with us. We're on our own," Orc riding upon a giant wolf said.

"Agreed," A Lakor Grunt replied. "We're running low on resources, food supplies are dwindling since we cannot consume the stalkers."

"Then I believe the matter is settled," Another, carrying a crossbow, "We much charge into the portal with all our forces, take control of the surrounding region, and establish a fortification."

The Raider frowned, "There will be resistance, the new land is nothing like the previous scouts said it should be."

"True," The grunt replied. "But there is a large supply of water, timber, and fertile land. The locals seem to have abandoned the area save a few stragglers."

"I don't like it, but our clan must come first," The crossbow orc said. "Prepare the war band, we march soon."

Asuna turned to Kirche.

"Important question, if a war party of foreign intelligent creatures attacked your people, took your land, and refused your laws. What would you think would happen?" The Chosen Dragon said.

Kirche appeared thoughtful for a second, "Well, I'm sure it'll be a misunderstanding-"

"Answer it straight," Asuna interrupted.

"A counter attack against them, to push them back and onto the diplomatic table," Kirche said.

"And if they refused to comply?" Asuna questioned.

"War, darling, war."

* * *

Current Status:

Chosen Dragon Player 1: Saito Hiraga - Alive - Purple Dragonet (Agility) Level 11

Chosen Dragon Player 2: Alex Storm - Alive - Bronze Dragonet (Strength) Level 9

Chosen Dragon Player 3: Asuna Godiva - Alive - Nether Dragonet (Strength) Level 11

Chosen Dragon Player 4: Artos Archway - Alive - Green Dragonet (Agility) Level 8

Chosen Dragon Player 5: Cora Rune - Alive - Blue Dragonet (Intelligence) Level 10

Dragon Slayer Player 6: Celdrahil - Alive - Slayer Level 8

Dragon Catcher Player 7: Rosina - Alive - Catcher Level 12

The Human Kingdom Player 8: Aylmer and Abigail - Alive - King Level 4, Princess Level [Error]

The Fel Empire Player 9: Grom - Alive - King of Fel Empire Level 8

Mercenary Player 10: Elizabeth Loyal - Alive - Sorceress Level 8

Observer Map Maker: Map Maker - Alive - The World Editor


End file.
